In the last 10 years or more, Metro Cebu has been a witness to the surge of property development projects within and outside the city. Leading the charge are Manila based developers who, with their marketing savvy and technical expertise, have created residential condominiums, gated subdivisions and commercial strips of varied sizes. But local developers have held their own in this highly competitive industry, and recent statistics show the Cebu=based players have, in some instances, outperformed their Manila counterparts in a few market segments. Still, the market demand continues to be vibrant and property developers – both national and local have their hands full catering to the diverse needs of property buyers.

Taking full advantage of this current trend is NEXUS Real Estate Corporation, a Cebu based developers with over 10 years’ experience in the industry. After a decade of establishing its reputation as a reliable developer of pocket to mid-size subdivisions, the company is now on a massive growth program with the launch of its first high-end vertical project- ANTARA. Led by its young and dynamic CEO, Shanna Louise T. Lopez, Nexus promises an entirely new concept in urban living with this landmark development. “Even as the company immerses itself in an industry with a lot of players, we always plot our own unique direction with new development templates and offer to our investors a one-of-a-kind property investment in ANTARA,” Ms. Lopez elucidates on her company’s latest project.

True to her words, Ms. Lopez’s ANTARA offers a strikingly fresh approach to the “residential + recreational” concept. A five building project that sits on a 2.9-hectare prime property on th hills of Talisay City, the whole development is built around an international grade wellness center and complemented by an adventure park that will offer various thrill and adventure facilities.

The First three buildings will comprise the residential units while buildings 4 & 5 will be the core as it will house a Wellness & Leisure center manned by an international trained and certified staff. The center itself will offer complementary facilities such as a fully equipped fitness gym, a yoga center and other amenities. It will also feature other conveniences including an enclosed garden, themed restaurants, specialty shops, bars, game rooms and function areas.

Not to be outdone by these facilities is the ANTARA Adventure Park, which will cover almost a hectare of the entire property. Here visitors and unit owners can enjoy an entire day of outdoor activities. It will feature a jogging/hiking trail, a mini golf course, kid’s jungle gym, lagoon, hanging bridge and a wall climbing area.

“The main idea behind ANTARA is to offer our buyers and investors a myriad of possibilities. For unit owners they can treat it as a weekend getaway where the whole family is sure to have a good time. For property investors, rentals from short and long stay guests are guaranteed because of the facilities that we offer. Whatever and however they want to enjoy Antara, we will make sure that the possibilities are endless. In fact, with these two major recreational components – the wellness center and the adventure park – the residential units may be an afterthought for some. But that is not to say that we have disregarded the residential component. Our very first consideration was to be able to deliver wonderfully designed and finished units that reflect our attention to the small details and conveniences of those who will be occupying them. In ANTARA, NEXUS left nothing to chance and we stand by our promise to deliver something that will truly be different and exciting to the market,” Ms. Lopez concludes.

Big words with the promise of bigger possibilities from a homegrown developer about to unfold its biggest project yet. With ANTARA, NEXUS Real Estate Corp. is definitely on course to set a new and exciting way Cebuanos live and play.

Manuel M. Roleda, or MMR as officially addressed in NEXUS Real Estate Corp. is the company’s management consultant. He was formerly its Vice President for Operations but has since started his own construction business, intensicon CSV Builders, and is now one of the NEXUS’s accredited construction partners.

1. How and when did you start working for Nexus?
I joined NEXUS in June 2012. Back then the CEO, Ms. Shanna Lopez, was looking for somebody to head the Sales and Marketing department. I came in for an interview and within a week I was already part of the NEXUS family. I brought with me extensive experiences in industries like pharmaceutical and property development. Ms. Lopez felt that my business and management perspective was wider than most. In 2014, I assumed the role of Vice President for Operations taking on bigger responsibilities in NEXUS side by side with our CEO. Presently, I am part of the company’s core management group and consult regularly with senior managers and the board of directors.

2. What does your job entail? What were your responsibilities as VP for Operations and now as management consultant?
I would like to think of myself simply as NEXUS handyman- doing what needs to be done to keep business operations flowing smoothly. As VP for Operations, I involved myself with the company’s typical concerns like sales, after sales, marketing, construction, property management, etc and as a manager, I regularly challenge myself to look for opportunities where I can make the most contribution to the company. Because of this I decided to start my own construction outfit. Intensicon CSV Builders, over a year ago and partnered with NEXUS for some of its housing projects. Since I am privy to the inner workings of NEXUS and understand its business directions, this partnership allows me to guide the company in cost-efficient project planning all the way to marketing, which translates to a healthy bottom line – something that 3rd party contractors would be hard pressed to do. So ever since the second half of last year, I have now divested some of my functions as VP and have concentrated more on consulting with our CEO on how to move forward with future and existing projects on both technical and administrative aspects. I am very appreciative of the fact that NEXUS continues to value my suggestions and still include me in major boardroom decisions.

3. What challenges do you face and how do you overcome them?
I tend to be perfectionist so instilling in my team the same degree of excellence and diligence that I employ in my work is a constant challenge. Another is trying to make people understand the difference between working hard and working smart. I always feel that those who can analyze, dissect and break down their work into doable tasks get more done compared to those who trudge on consistently but without understanding their work. To deal with this, I manage by example and show my team that ordinary common sense and an eye for excellence can go a long way in work and in life.

4. What keeps you going each day?
My wife, Kria and our three kids – Aelo, Basti and Tori. Everything I do is for them. I also have to consider my employees since most of them are daily wage earners. Anything that happens within my business affects not only them but their families as well.

5. Kindly give us a glimpse of your life outside of work. Any hobbies or interests?
Most of my time is dedicated to running the affairs of my construction business. Partnered with an international housing organization specializing in mid to low-cost mass housing. I currently have several on-going projects in Cebu, Palawan, Aklan, Iloilo and Bohol. This entails a lot of traveling and meetings that limits my time on other activities. But if time allows, my family and I goes on quickie vacations and indulge in good food. My wife ia a pastry chef so we always end up eating dessert first!

6. What’s your personal mantra?
Life’s a journey not a destination. And it doesn’t hurt to accumulate a little bit of wealth, plenty of adventures and load of wisdom while on the road.