Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for National Development & Communications and Information with Mr Mark Yip, Huttons CEO and associates.
Singapore: Today, Huttons Group announced its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework across four key pillars; Contribute to Sustainability and Green City, Build Trust and a Meaningful Future, Enable AI & Digital Adoption, and Support the Community.
Mr Mark Yip, Chief Executive Officer of Huttons Group said, “The collective efforts of everyone in Huttons coming together to do good for the community has propelled our growth for the past two years to become Singapore’s Largest Private Real Estate Agency. It is vital to continue using our resources and knowledge to help clients and communities facilitate sustainability and opportunities.”
Other green initiatives include recycling and upcycling of materials and gadgets in the office through collaboration with CPF at CPF Bishan building. Associates and staff are also encouraged to bring their own bottles or mugs, plus, source for reusable corporate gifts moving forward. Other targets are reducing use of bottled water and plastic bags by 50% in 2024 and progressively shifting to LED lights.
In August 2022, Huttons pledged to raise up to $150,000 towards Singapore’s OneMillionTrees movement under NParks. The funds raised for the Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Tree programme will support the transformation of Singapore into a city in nature, which is a key pillar under the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
On 5 June 2023, in conjunction with World Environment Day, Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for National Development & Communications and Information, joined in a tree planting session at Pasir Ris Park with Huttons management, associates and family members. These efforts will help to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage and create a better living environment for generations to come.
Huttons Innovation Challenge, an industry-first initiative which was launched in April 2022, saw enthusiastic participation and quality submissions from the youths for the transformation of real estate. Participants explored topics such as the metaverse, smart, algorithm-based & AI technology, hybrid working arrangements affecting the demand in commercial and residential real estate and more.
The winners of Huttons Innovation Challenge received their recognition from Minister Desmond Lee in the finale. The 1st prize winners are a team of undergrads from NUS Business School, Department of Real Estate who walked away with $25,000 cash for their idea in sustainability through ‘URL’; Utility, Reliability and Liveability.
Huttons will also be having a comprehensive Digital Marketing Day on 11 July 2023 conducted by Top Leaders and Producers to share their strategies in ChatGPT, Content Marketing, Social Media, Advertising, Search engine optimization (SEO), and more. The virtual session is open to all real estate salespersons in the industry to equip participants with the skills to build their brand in the digital space.
The new Huttons Integrated Transaction System (HITS) in July 2023 will help to streamline transaction processes with digitalised CEA forms, e-CDD, AML checks, documents submission and invoices to clients. Comprehensive insights of business performance and reports are now available, enabling associates to access vital data and strategically plan for future growth. It is powered by Redoc.co, a pre-approved, sector-specific
digital solution for the real estate agency industry as part of the SMEs Go Digital programme.
Other new trainings conducted by Huttons for associates include using AI models such as ChatGPT which can help to increase productivity and lead generation. The corporate marketing team is also using the tool to enhance efficiency and creativity for content creation. New development programmes will include Huttons Fast Track in July 2023 where aspiring RES will be mentored by Top Leaders and Producers to accelerate their
knowledge across branding and digital marketing, resale markets and project marketing, prospecting, presentations and negotiations, asset progression and financial calculation. Other hands-on sessions to help associates and staff in adapting to new technologies will also be scheduled progressively.
Huttons is also engaging Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) to conduct an overall review of internal training programmes for associates and staff. Our training roadmap will be re-modelled to follow CEA’s Differentiated Learning Paths (DLP) and Competency Guide for associates’ learning at various stages of their professional journey.
Mr Yip added, “We have been supporting numerous events such as NKF Race Inspired 2023, Roxy Foundation Charity Car Wash 2023, The Private Museum Charity Golf 2023, YMCA 23rd Charity Golf, Arc Charity Gala Lunch 2023, Extra•Ordinary People’s 2nd Charity Golf Challenge 2023, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Golf Charity 2023 to go the extra mile for our society. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our ambassadors for their selfless contributions in creating a greener and more sustainable world for generations to come.
We started the year on a high note by being one of Singapore’s Fastest Growing Companies 2023. With our clear and forward-looking direction to reach 6,000 associates by end-2024, we will continue to build on our momentum to make a positive impact in people’s lives.” Mr Yip concludes.