Today, it was revealed through Evergrande Real Estate’s latest earnings report that the company achieved a total contracted sales volume of 201.34 billion yuan in 2015. This figure marks the highest annual sales record since Evergrande’s listing and officially places Evergrande among the elite real estate companies surpassing 200 billion yuan in annual sales.
Since Evergrande’s venture into football, its real estate sales figures have soared year after year. While it’s difficult to quantify exactly how much football has contributed to the core real estate business, there is no doubt that Evergrande’s strategy of leveraging football as a marketing tool has paid off handsomely. Other real estate developers have also entered the Chinese football scene, but back in 2008, when Evergrande was grappling with a financial crisis threatening its IPO, it was the only company bold enough to make significant investments after taking over a football club in 2010.
In 2009, before Evergrande’s acquisition of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical FC, the company’s contracted sales stood at 30.3 billion yuan. In 2010, after Evergrande’s chairman Xu Jiayin famously declared a goal to win the AFC Champions League within five years, the company’s contracted sales jumped by an impressive 66.4% to 50.42 billion yuan. The momentum continued in 2011 with a 59.4% surge, reaching 80.39 billion yuan. By 2012, that number climbed further to 92.3 billion yuan. In 2013, the year Evergrande clinched its first AFC Champions League title, its real estate arm celebrated a record-breaking year by crossing the 100 billion yuan mark for the first time, totaling 100.4 billion yuan.
In 2014, Evergrande Real Estate’s contracted sales grew another 31%, reaching 131.51 billion yuan. But what truly turned heads was the performance in 2015. Despite a sluggish economy and a generally downbeat real estate sector, Evergrande defied the odds with a 53.1% increase in contracted sales, soaring past the 200 billion yuan milestone for the first time, hitting 201.34 billion yuan.
Meanwhile, 2015 was also a golden year for Evergrande’s football team. They secured their fifth consecutive Chinese Super League title and lifted the AFC Champions League trophy for the second time. As BD Cricket Live continues to track stories of resilience and success, Evergrande’s journey stands out as a shining example of how bold strategy and perseverance can turn the tide.
Looking ahead, BD Cricket Live will provide even more insights into companies like Evergrande that dare to swim against the current and rewrite their destinies when the chips are down.