As i approach the Final Journey

 

I ventured into Estate Agency 28 years ago.

And due to the MCO and pandemic, 

I decided to write about my experiences

and share my journey via my 2 property blogs

( Malay Blog -- https://george-eng.blogspot.com )

Just only 2 months and I have 

got about 35 requests for my phone no,

meet up for Coffee & Teh-tarik sessions !!

I don't know why anyone would want 

to meet up with a small-time agent that 

has no trophy to show.

DO YOU KNOW WHY ???

Most likely it is because no one is willing to

share their Estate Agency journey like I do.

For what I write is REAL ... 

It is GENUINE ... & it is written from the HEART.

Berani kerana BENAR ....

It is about the joy of being an estate agent.

It is about the trials & tribulations ... 

the happiness & sadness.

It is not only about the accomplishments

... but also the failures I went thru ....

You can feel the CONNECTION ... 

for I was there before you.

and was once upon a time like you.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, 

I don't sell you anything !!

Saya TAK JUAL air liur bro ...

Instead I give you HOPE

My posts are meant to EDUCATE

My writings are meant to INSPIRE

My messages are meant to ENLIGHTEN

My sharing shall ENHANCE your property biz

THANK YOU all for 

being part of my journey.

TERIMA KASIH ... VANAKKAM ... 谢谢你 

The importance of Branding

 

Do you realize that many estate agents

and agencies claim that they are

No.1 ... the Top ...the Best ....etc 

The question is  ---  IF everyone claims so,

then who will be the No 2 ?

WITH so many at the No 1 spot,

can you remember who is who ?

Can you remember them ?

 

Your brand is what differentiates you 

in the marketplace. What a strong brand 

stands for cannot be easily copied.

If your business wants to be widely known, 

remembered and chosen by your potential 

customers over the competition, 

you need a strong brand. 

AND if you are an estate agent,

then you need your OWN Personal Brand

There is certainly an emotional link 

between a chosen brand and its customers. 

The brands you love most are the ones 

you feel understand you and your needs. 

They’re the ones who can inspire 

you to say, “This brand is for ME!”

Brand building is a foundational practice 

adopted by enduring brands such as 

Singapore Airlines, McDonalds, Petronas, 

Maxis, Digi and the likes.

The brands you love don’t just happen by luck. 

It happens because those brands have 

taken the time to get clear about who they are, 

what makes them the most valuable/unique to you,

& in many ways have pre-selected you 

to connect with.

WHEN everyone claims to be No 1,

off course its hard for you to remember 

so many of them.

BUT when you claim yourself to be

....  " the smallest agent in town " 

....  ejen kecil-kecilan

---  ejen anai-anai

Do you think people will remember me ?

Happy Days are back again

 

When i open my Facebook just now,

memories of what happened on this day

4 years ago popped up.

.... when there was no pandemic

--- when life was so normal

...  when beauty prevails

To date, I have done about 50 classes,

for about 150 attendees.

Past participants include a lawyer, 2 land investors &

agents/principals from CBD, Reapfield, Metrohomes,

Propnex, IQI, Property Hub, Hartamas, Tophills Realty,

Starcity Properties, Greenfield Properties, GS Realty,

Full Homes Realty,Property Champ, Dukes Agencies,

Gold Realty, Mapleland Properties, Vivahomes Realty,

Roof Realty, Quantum Real Estate, CKY Agency, GDS

Boutique Homes,Solid Real Estate Consultants, Weise,

JLL,Real Estate Finders, Rise Property, Megaharta,

H.Sena Property Exchange, Dutamas, Pan Properties,

Tech Realtors, Ping Properties, H. Simon Real Estate,

Henry Butcher, VPC Realtors, Metroworld Realty, HASB,

Azmi & Co, City Crest Realtors, Jasaland, Chesters ,

Zerin, Oriental Realty, Three Acres Real Estate, Sinous,

Macreal, CID Realtors, Centreline, Homefield, InteRealtors,

Great Casa, and few more.

( The next 5 classes are already FULLY BOOKED

until January next year )

As the country enters the Endemic Phase soon,

it means we can get back our normal lives again,

albeit with strict SOPs ... Kita Jaga Kita ....

Happy Days are back again !!

Most importantly,

I missed my Nasi Lemak at the class  ....

RM500 Million deal .....

 

This is a RM500 Million deal.

But it is NOT my deal 

because I did not bother to pursue it ....

Here's the story.

Almost 10 years ago, this property was being

advertized by many agents. 

Then it cooled down a bit .... 

and about 3 years ago, i see many agents

trying to market it again.

The problem with amateur agents is this

---  when they get a property that is so BIG

---  the first thing they will do is to get their

calculator and see how many MILLIONS

they will make !!

Once they get ecstatic, they will seek out the

nearest Porsche, Bentley, Lambho & Maserati 

showrooms.

BUT the stinker is this  ---   amateur agents

always do things at face value. They dont know

how to dig deeper ..... to find out more on

the property .... and do their DUE DILIGENCE.

So they start burning cash in advertising.

You see ... this property was embroiled in a 

court case back then. And there is no certainty

as to HOW the outcome will be ... and WHEN

can it be settled... and if you can EVER 

get paid the commission.

To me, I want CERTAINTY.

I want CONTROL.... and be able to DELIVER.

Since these are not available, that's why I

decided not to pursue it further ,,,,

No FREE lunch in Estate Agency

 

A newbie Real Estate Negotiator

sent me this some time ago and asked me

whether this is TRUE ?

Because if its genuine ,

then this rookie REN will want  to 

QUIT her existing agency ....

From the picture above, 

the first thing that pops up in my mind is

GUARANTEED INCOME for 3 months !!

This is certainly mind-boggling indeed.

How is it possible to offer a Guarantee

when everyone in the real estate agency biz

knows that COMMISSION INCOME only

comes from the completed transaction.

No deal .... means NO Income.

Its as simple as that ...

There is no such thing as a FREE LUNCH

in the real estate agency industry.

DO NOT be blinded by Greed !!

If its too good to be True ....

then it certainly cannot be True.

So be warned.

Money does not drop from nowhere.

YOU need to work for it .... 

Laws of Karma in Estate Agency

 

The REALITY of being in REALTY .

..... that's the topic for today ...

25 years ago when I was a rookie agent,

I brokered the sale of a RM160k 

single-storey linkhouse in Sri Petaling.

The owner sells mixed-economy rice in 

the food court of an office building. 

Somehow he got into a bad patch and

wanted to sell the house as he needed 

the cash urgently.

It took me 16 trips to close the deal, 

and when it was time for my commission 

... he said he can't pay me the full fee

and only took out RM600 from his wallet.

I took it .... 

BUT i returned RM400 to him ... 

just enough to cover my petrol and toll.

WHY ???

Because 2 days earlier, 

I was at the food court during tea time 

( when his stall was closed ) and the neighboring

stall operator told me that Uncle Chan's child 

has been warded in the hospital for a

rare illness for the past 2 months ..

As an agent, 

how much rice can we eat in a day ?

And how many  cups of coffee can we drink daily ?

Being an estate agent, 

we need to be real and accept

the reality of being in the realty business.

My wallet may say yes 

... BUT my heart says NO .....

Property product knowledge is Important

 

2 years I bumped into an old friend 

who told me that

" Hey ,,, you have put on weight. 

Drink this shake and

you will lose weight ".

Then weeks later, 

another lady approached me to say

" Mister you are so thin and skinny 

... drink this shake

and you will put on weight ,,,, "

What a magical powdered drink !!

This way also can .... that way also can .

Then there was this distributor

who pestered me to buy the detergent

.... Very good one Sir ,,, sure clean one

BUT when i asked him is it really GOOD,

he admitted that he has NOT used it before !!

BENGANG AKU DENGAR .....

Todays message is very simple --- 

 if you are a real estate agent,

it is important that you yourself 

have seen the property before

& have the PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

On many occasions 

I have come across agents who

say its Freehold ( when its Leasehold ) 

... who claims

that the land has D.O 

( when its still agriculture landuse )

.... who says its flat land 

( when 70% is sloping downwards  ) 

... who says the land is vacant 

( when there are still 35 squatters there )

.... who says he knows the Owner

( when actually he got the info from his aunty 

who got it from her neighbour ... 

who then got it from the coffeshop owner 

.. who got it from the owners office boy ) etc

Sound familiar ???

KORANG ADA TERASA TAK ?

If you dont get your act correct ... 

then you are no more better than the 

smooth-talking guy selling snake oil 

on the road pavement in Chow Kit 

Whats the point of joining 

lots of real-estate related classes

like NCC, CDP, CPD, REPs and so on ....

if you still have the lackadaisical

TIDAK APA attitude .... ???

Life cycle of a Real Estate Agent

 

A specialist DELIVERS what he promises you.

He can command a PREMIUM price. 

He gives you peace of mind. 

His clients come to him via REFERRALS ... 

his appointments are full for the next 3 months.

So are you a SPECIALIST ?

Do you specialize .... as an estate agent ???

In today's competitive real estate market, 

it makes sense to focus and specialize ... 

but WHEN to specialize and

HOW to specialize ?

==============================

If you are a fresh negotiator, 

or just a NEWBIE real estate agent.

the first 1 to 3 years of your property

career will be just hit-and-run. 

You will be bumming around

with no direction ....

just like a Headless-Chicken !!

From the 3rd to 5th year, 

you learn from the school-of-hard knocks 

.... and rise up whenever you fall down ..

6th year onwards ...  

THIS is the time for you to start

thinking about how to specialize.

From the 6th to 10th year, 

you will be entering the GROWTH Phase 

of your career .... during this period, 

all the critical components gel together 

---  knowledge, experience, zest,

enthusiasm, networking,  etc ---  

creating a very POWERFUL combination.

If you draw a graph, 

this is the period when you see a very

SHARP SPIKE in your business !!

So after 5 years, 

you have to decide on the direction you 

want to head to ....especially when your are

AT YOUR PRIME during the 8 to 10 years

..... but DO NOT drag on 

your decision to after 10 years as by then, 

you will be entering the MATURING Phase

whereby you will feel TIRED of estate agency .

The physical & mental stamina tapers off

and the " Ooomp " is no longer there ... 

the babies are crying, the kids are wailing, 

the wife is nagging and the parents 

are hospitalizing .... there are just 

too many distractions !!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

SO HOW do you specialize ?

There are 2 ways ... either by LOCATION

or by SECTOR or NICHE.

A location specialist focuses on a certain area 

... for example in Bangi, Cheras, Ampang,

Mont Kiara, Kelana Jaya, Shah Alam, etc

Those that specializes in 

a particular sector are called

NICHE Agents as they only focus on 

certain types of properties only.

e.g. condos, shops, factories, agriculture land.

Only you yourself knows 

your own strength & weakness

and what type of property you wish to focus on.

As for land, you know who to look for ....!!!

Lucrative commission as a Land Agent

 

Most real estate agents are happy and contented

making a few thousand ringgit a month.

Some are luckier, and can earn several tens of

thousand ringgit monthly as commissions.

BUT if you are a Land Agent, or an estate agent

that specializes in Land Deals ( agriculture land,

industrial land or development land ), then having

commission cheques in Six or Seven Digits are

very common indeed ....

The above is the commission cheque of an agent

from Penang who has attended my Land Deals Class.

It is the 1st Payment from the land deal,

with the 2nd Payment 3 months later,

meaning total commission is RM705,672.00.

DO you also want to earn this type of commission ?

If you do, then its time for you to re-look into 

the way you do your estate agency business ...

What does a REN wants ?

 

It's very difficult to gauge what the RENs 

or Real Estate Negotiators want nowadays

.

With so many options out there ... 

they are certainly spoilt for choice.

I know this fact very well as I have been

conducting my 2 Days Land Deals Class

for many years now.

AND throughout this period,

I have come across many RENs who

are expecting the ridiculous ....

For example, these are the questions they asked

BEFORE they even ask for the class contents .

Question

------------

Can you send me your Testimonial ?

Answer

-----------

Please go to my FB and look thru the photos.

Can you see your own Principal and your

Team Leader in one of the classes ?

What testimonial do you want ???

Question

------------

Got 10 CPD points or not ?

Answer

-----------

Do you want to learn how to make money 

or to collect points  ?

Question

-----------

Ada lawatan ke tapak ?

Answer

---------

Hello bro ... ini bukan cuti-cuti Malaysia

 

Question

------------

Your class fee for 2-days is so expensive !!

Xmas is coming .... got Discount ah ?

Answer

-----------

If you pay RM600 for NCC,

you get Ikan Bilis, Ikan Kembong & Tilapia.

Even a baby golden Arowana costs 

10 times more ....

Which do you want  ?

==========================

BUT thats not all....

I have also received many private messages

from experienced RENs, PEA, and also from

Principals .... who said that they are VERY KEEN

to join my class.

But after receiving my Info, they keep quiet !!

They dont even have the COURTESY 

to reply back ....

Obviously they are CURIOSITY SEEKERS

who are NOT serious about moving their 

real estate agency to the NEXT LEVEL.

REAL real estate agent

 

Past 3 weeks I have received 5 requests

.... to like Fan Pages by newbie agents.

BUT i did not click  LIKE ....

The problem is this ---

I have NO MORE interest in condos, houses,

shops, new project launches, 0 downpayment,

rebates, cashbacks, etc.

In short, Entry-Level properties as well as

those Mom & Pop properties does not

excite me anymore  !!

This is because I have been in the property

industry for  36 Years now ---  8 years with

listed-property developers & 28 long years 

as a full-time estate agent.

I have been there

Seen it ... done it ...experienced it.

So naturally its hard to get excited over

plain vanilla and bland strawberries ....

My sincere apologies to those ( including'

Hot-Shot Team Leaders ) who have shown me

their Fan Pages ... and yet I did not liked them.

I'd rather tell you upfront

than to click LIke and then FAKE it 

... misleading you to think that i will

go read your posts ... !!

I am a REAL real estate agent.

And i believe in doing REAL stuff.

& I believe in REALITY and HONESTY.

Someday when you survived 3 decades 

in the brutal real estate industry ... you will 

understand what I mean .

For now, I just wish you all the very best

in your real estate journey ....