More than a year after it was officially launched, BigBenta.com has become the dominant player in the online marketplace in the Philippines, helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs in connecting to their buyers and suppliers.
In competing with some established e-commerce sites, BigBenta CEO and Founder Charlie Fong said what makes BigBenta a cut above the rest is the trust it immediately gets in the market being a 100-percent Filipino owned.
“That is the challenge—facing those who are already stable in the e-commerce industry,” he said in an interview with the BusinessMirror. “But being here after we went online in March 2016 and seeing how well we fare” is already a major accomplishment for the start-up.
BigBenta was officially registered in May 2015. It provides Internet software and service platform for the Philippines and the Asian region.
Two months ago, Bigbenta has introduced its online state-of-the-art real-estate brokerage arm Bigbenta Prime. It is the latest addition to other platforms in its web site, like Bigbenta Store, BigBenta Classifieds and BigBenta Service Booking. Its customers are used to paying via cash-on-delivery.
Through its platform, buyers can shop for their dream house and property without leaving the comfort of their seats, as Bigbenta Prime provides customers with 360-degree detailed view and information of the property of their partner-developers.
This revolutionary, state-of-the-art real-property web site, the first in the Philippines and made by Filipinos for Filipinos, will facilitate the complete cycle of the buying transaction—from viewing the property, to knowing the places of interests nearby, inquiries and buying the specific property, not to mention reservation, financing and payment from its many development-partners.
“Bigbenta Prime will make buying your dream properties and developments easier by getting validated information firsthand just by logging on to the BigBenta Prime web site,” Fong said.
He added: “BigBenta Prime will assist you all the way, even before traditional persistent sales representatives get to you and offer you all properties that may not be suitable to your needs or preference.”
This is a big deviation from usual practice, where real-estate transactions focus on just the property itself.
Fong said with Bigbenta Prime’s 360-degree view of the area, nearby establishments and places of interest (nearby schools, churches, banks, police stations, etc.), flood-hazard mapping and competing properties nearby, buyers can get all the information they need in making “one great informed decision”.
Likewise, BigBenta Prime presents buyers the complete pricing breakdown and actual calculations per unit of properties. It has comparative prices (for sale and for rent) of competing developments within 2 kilometers from the property site and the estimated association dues and miscellaneous fees.
BigBenta Prime also gives buyers the construction methodologies used and the list of materials used in finishing the property, including a chat-support feature, where one can share real-property information and experiences with other buyers and would-be buyers.
More important, BigBenta Prime assists buyers through its online reservation-fee payment; loan calculation; special services to expedite loan processing in designated banks; and buyer document uploading to support bank loans and document archives that buyers can download so they can confidently verify the authenticity of all the information.
“All of these without even physically visiting the property,” Fong added.
BigBenta Prime also helps developers and property sellers by providing them with the online platform to make property offerings to their market easier, convenient and cost- efficient.
BigBenta Prime emphasized: “We welcome all property developers on board, as we forge partnership in making the real-estate industry a true nation-builder.”
BigBenta Prime was conceptualized and developed for the online community, including professionals and millennials, to assist them in making informed decisions in buying properties amid the noise and competition in the real-estate market, as well as avoid scams and all forms of deception of dishonest agents.
Bigbenta Prime completes the “Four Pillars of the future of Online Trading and Commerce”, as it solidifies its claim as the No. 1 online marketplace in the Philippines.
Fong said BigBenta Store is basically the marketplace for different products that MSMEs sell online, even those not commonly delivered items, like fruits, vegetables and charcoal. BigBenta Classified Ads provides free advertising for different merchandise and what-have-you’s for sale to online users. BigBenta Service Booking, on the other hand, offers different kinds of professional services given by accountants, lawyers, among others, as well as tutorials, household plumbing, septic-tank siphoning and other blue-collared tasks.
The BigBenta Classified Ads service, meanwhile, allows users to post different kinds of advertisements—from items for sale to job openings—with over 3,000 advertisers already posting their ads through the platform. The use of the service is free and only requires users to register for an account to be able to post an ad.
Service Bookings, on the other hand, is like an online job market, where various skilled professionals can create a profile of themselves and the services they offer. Whether you are plumber, massage therapist, tutor, tailor or any other type of skilled professional, you can create a profile and post it for consumers to find online.
Fong expressed belief that BigBenta’s platforms will help Filipino entrepreneurs and MSMEs take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Internet in growing their business.