by Edielyn Mangol, Reporter
Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI), a leading real estate developer in Visayas and Mindanao, continues to demonstrate robust growth momentum, reporting a 13% year-on-year increase in consolidated net income to ₱2.49 billion for the first half of 2025.
This strong performance comes on the heels of sustained sales, improved revenue recognition, and accelerated project completions that underpin the company’s strategy to generate high-quality earnings even amidst shifting market dynamics.
The company’s consolidated revenues grew 5% to ₱11.87 billion during the period, with real estate sales remaining the core business driver. Complementing this, Cebu Landmasters’ diversification efforts have yielded remarkable results, as recurring income from hotel operations jumped 132%, while leasing revenues gained 53%, reinforcing the company’s foothold in multiple income-generating segments beyond traditional residential development.
A virtuous cycle of success: Insights from CLI CFO Grant Cheng
During the H1 2025 Investors and Analysts Briefing, Chief Finance Officer Grant Cheng provided an in-depth explanation of Cebu Landmasters’ distinctive approach to value creation, which he characterized as a “virtuous cycle of success.”
Cheng outlined how this cycle operates within the cyclical real estate business and how the company’s capital market undertakings play a pivotal role in sustaining growth.
“The virtuous cycle begins with strategic land acquisition followed by significant capital deployment to develop new projects,” Cheng shared. “Cebu Landmasters operates primarily on a pre-selling model, which means that while projects are often fully sold early on, the actual cash collections come later, mostly upon project completion and turnover to buyers. This dynamic necessitates strong, deliberate capital raising activities to support the development phase before collections occur.”
Cheng also emphasized the importance of capital market activities in this cycle: “Our recent capital raises are integral because they provide the funds needed to complete fully sold projects. This completion then allows us to realize cash collections, which in turn enable us to repay our debt and equity investors. We maintain solid margins so that our sales revenue consistently exceed our capital expenditures, closing the loop on the cycle.”
Fintech as a catalyst for operational excellence
While CLI’s growth is fundamentally driven by its real estate projects, the company’s operational discipline is increasingly powered by modern finance technology. CLI has strategically invested in digital platforms to streamline its capital management and customer-facing processes.
This integration of fintech allows for greater transparency and efficiency in how the company tracks its project finances, from initial land acquisition costs to the final stages of cash collection and debt repayment. These digital tools provide real-time visibility into the project pipeline, ensuring that capital deployment is measured, timely, and aligned with the company’s ambitious delivery schedules.
Cebu Landmasters is also leveraging fintech to enhance the customer experience, particularly in the pre-selling and collection phases. The company has implemented digital payment gateways that make it easier for buyers to remit their payments securely and on time, whether they are based locally or overseas.
This not only improves the “quality and reliability of receivables”— one of CLI’s key metrics — but also reduces administrative burdens and accelerates the cash flow cycle. By providing a seamless, digitized transaction process, CLI is building a more robust and responsive financial ecosystem that benefits both the company and its homebuyers.
In articulating how Cebu Landmasters measures the success of its projects and expansion, Cheng highlighted four key metrics.
The first is the sell-out rate, reflecting the market appetite and project desirability. Second is the quality and reliability of receivables, ensuring dependable and predictable cash flow visibility. Third is the percentage of project completion, tracking progress and adherence to timelines. And finally, the company monitors whether projects remain within budget, a critical factor for maintaining profitability and efficient use of capital. “These metrics guide us in managing both new launches and ongoing developments, ensuring that we deliver on promises to customers and stakeholders alike,” said Cheng.
Strong market demand and diversified income streams
CLI continues to capitalize on resilient market demand across Visayas and Mindanao, as demonstrated by reservation and estate sales totaling ₱14.3 billion — a 3% rise from the previous year. High-performing projects like Casa Mira Gensan and One Manresa Place underscore this positive demand environment, showcasing sell-out rates north of 85%, with One Manresa Place generating over ₱5 billion in sales within just two weeks after launch.
“Our flagship economic housing brand Casa Mira, along with our Garden Series developments, continues to resonate with homebuyers seeking value, quality, and generous living spaces,” said CLI Chairman and CEO Jose Soberano III. “This sustained buyer confidence demonstrates the sound fundamentals underpinning our long-term growth vision.”
Expanding beyond residential offerings, CLI’s recurring income has significantly benefited from diversified operations. Hotel revenues surged by 132%, reflecting increasing travel and leisure demand, while leasing income from offices and commercial spaces increased 53%, aligning with CLI’s ambition to become a balanced real estate enterprise serving multiple market segments.
Cebu Landmasters: Building capacity, expanding reach
By the end of June 2025, CLI’s total assets expanded to ₱125 billion, driven by ongoing project construction and strategic landbank acquisitions. Positive operating cash flows of ₱3.7 billion support this growth trajectory, providing the company with significant financial firepower to execute an aggressive project rollout plan.
CLI currently manages a robust portfolio comprising 127 developments, including 105 property-for-sale projects, 10 hotels, and six office buildings. This diverse mix enables the company to mitigate risk while capitalizing on multiple revenue streams within the property sector.
Chief Operating Officer Jose Franco Soberano noted, “The sell-out success across VisMin markets not only validates the strong housing demand but also gives us the confidence to maintain a busy launch schedule throughout the remainder of 2025. We are set to introduce twelve new projects — spanning residential, mixed-use, and hospitality developments — in key growth hubs such as Metro Cebu, Palawan, the Davao Region, and South Mindanao.”
Accelerating growth with strategic new projects, Luzon entry
The company plans an intensive rollout of seven projects in the coming months across rapidly urbanizing areas, followed by the launch of five additional residential developments in Metro Cebu, Northern Cebu, and Eastern Visayas toward year-end. These initiatives are designed to deepen CLI’s penetration in VisMin’s emerging centers while expanding into underserved regions with significant growth potential.
CLI’s expansion blueprint also includes preparing for its inaugural Luzon project set for launch in 2026. “Scaling our operations into Luzon reflects our vision of becoming a truly national real estate leader that addresses diverse housing needs across the Philippines,” said Jose Franco Soberano.
According to Soberano, this is further supported by CLI’s disciplined approach, which integrates market insight, operational excellence, and solid capital management enhanced by modern finance technology (fintech) to ensure transparency and efficiency.
With a clear strategy powered by measured capital deployment and operational discipline, Cebu Landmasters exemplifies how regional developers can not only weather economic challenges but also capitalize on emerging opportunities, delivering strong returns and tangible value to its investors and customers alike.
For more information about Cebu Landmasters and its projects, visit their official website.
