Empire East Land Holdings, Inc. is betting on sustained demand from end users to drive growth, as a shifting real estate market favors homebuyers seeking long-term occupancy over investors.

Speaking at an Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on Tuesday, Empire East President and CEO Atty. Anthony Charlemagne C. Yu said the company will be more deliberate about where it builds and how it deploys capital.

He noted that the property market shakeout is separating speculative demand from real housing demand.

“As portions of the industry recalibrated, particularly those driven largely by investment activity, a clearer direction emerged. Demand is increasingly anchored on end-users—homebuyers purchasing not for speculation, but for long-term living,” Yu said.

“We are seeing not only sales activity, but communities actively taking shape—homes being occupied, neighborhoods becoming established, and residents building their lives within the environments we create,” he added.

For Empire East, that shift cuts in its favor. The company said its focus on mid-income buyers gives it exposure to a market less dependent on investors and more anchored on actual occupancy.

“Our focus on the mid-income segment positions us within a market where demand continues to be steady, resilient, and sustainable,” Yu said.

Empire East booked P5.39 billion in revenues in 2025 and maintained healthy collections, giving it room to keep projects moving despite a tougher property market.

Construction remained active during the year, supported by more than P4.11 billion in contractor and supplier engagements. 

The company also turned over The North Residences at Covent Garden in Manila and the East Tower of Mango Tree Residences in San Juan, adding more than 800 condominium units to its completed portfolio.

It is also pushing ahead with major projects such as Pioneer Woodlands and The Paddington Place in Mandaluyong, Kasara Urban Resort Residences in Pasig, and its flagship township Empire East Highland City.

Empire East also moved to widen its buyer base after advancing to Pag-IBIG Window 1 status, which is expected to expedite financing and make homeownership more accessible to qualified buyers.