Buying or selling property will be easier next year thanks to the first Malta Property Expo, set to take place from February 27 to March 1.

This large-scale property exhibition, to be held at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali, will include no fewer than 100 exhibitors including estate agents and developers, banks and government entities, interior designers and anyone else active in the industry.

"This is the first event of its kind in Malta", said Ryan Mallia, sales director of the promoters, Duplex Real Estate Branding, during a party to launch the event.

"Property exhibitions are huge in many developed countries as they bring together a vast selection of properties and ancillary products and services all under one roof. Most of our clients and contacts were looking for new platforms to get closer to their market and explain their products in more detail. We were hearing this so often that we decided to put the event together next year. And, with the assistance of the MFCC and various sponsors, the aspiration is fast becoming an exciting reality."

As Malta's real estate industry is becoming more ambitious, participation from exhibitors is expected to be very high. In fact, just from pre-launch meetings, the organisers say they have more than 10 per cent of the space already booked.

Part of the convention centre floor plan will be dedicated to theatres where seminars and property auctions will be held. These are expected to encourage visitors to linger for longer in order to obtain useful information and, possibly, find that special deal.

The organisers are planning numerous other initiatives including a detailed website to go with the Malta Property Expo and a dedicated campaign to promote the event in Malta and overseas.

Set up in 2004, Duplex Real Estate Branding offers an array of professional services to developers, owners and estate agents in Malta and overseas. The services provided by the company range from creation of brands for the sales and promotion of real estate projects, media management and planning, production of collateral, graphic design, 3D CGI designs and walkthroughs to sales training, sales team management, etc.

Duplex Real Estate Branding is not an estate agent or a property developer itself. It works closely with its clients to develop destinations with stronger brand promise to deliver better sales performance.