Big changes are coming to the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards series, which is expanding in 2017 to include categories for promising markets such as Mongolia, Laos, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.

The annual awards ceremony in Singapore will now also feature China, Hong Kong and Macau categories.

Terry Blackburn, founder and managing director of the awards, said it had been an exciting journey for the awards side of the business since he joined PropertyGuru last year.

“Our expanded awards scheme is a tribute to the strength of the Asian real estate industry,” he said.

“Fair judgement and transparency of process are at the heart of the awards and we’re delighted to introduce the awards system to Asia’s rapidly growing property markets.”

PropertyGuru’s dedicated awards division was first launched in 2005 by Ensign Media in Thailand. The awards also hold annual black-tie gala dinner events in Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia, playing host to up to 600 C-level executives, senior industry figures and VIPs at each event.

Country winners from the 14 markets will advance to the seventh annual PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards grand final in Singapore on 7-8 November 2017, to be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.