Behind Closed Doors: An Interview with Jack Chee, Team Leader of Centaline Singapore

 

 

I first joined the industry in 2012 when I was expecting my first born.  I was still keeping my day job until 2013 when I made the switch to a full time Real Estate Agent. I do not have a success story to share but simply because my wife and I have to take leave very often to take care of our son as he fell sick very frequently in infant/child care. With time on my side, my wife is able to concentrate and focus on scaling up the career ladder. 

 

It worked out pretty well eventually as I can attend to my evening appointments when my wife knocks off from work and weekend appointments with the help of my wife to manage the household.

 

 

 

A good sales person in the industry may not necessarily be the right leader to guide you. He/she must be able to walk the path that you take and understand your challenges from your point of view as a new agent.

 

 

Here, you are trying to earn a living by closing deals at the fastest possible pace and yet, at the same time, the amount of output you have to put in to close that one single deal is humongous.

 

 

Everyone starts from somewhere and there is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of when you are new. The sooner you embrace challenges that form part of your business and adjust your abilities to make room for those challenges and find solutions, the sooner those challenges won’t appear nearly as big as they seemed in the beginning

 

 

I think it is essential to establish a trusting client base whose word of mouth recommendations to others will lead to more business. Most importantly, go in with an open mind-set of the entire real estate market covering aspects of residential to industrial regardless whether it’s a huge transaction or a small rental deal.

 

No doubt that you need to focus on a certain segment but as a professional realtor, you must also be able to articulate the industry as a whole. This may sound very cliché but I’ve not only learned but experienced that “Knowledge is Power”!

 

 

 

 

I believe the key qualities that make an excellent real estate agent comprises of the following; they need to understand the importance of communication and listening.

 

Communicating with your client is important, understand their needs and from there, find a suitable property based on their budget and needs. Listen to your clients and understand what they are exactly looking out for when buying a property.

 

Besides these two factors, an excellent real estate agent must be pro-active. Do a follow-up with your client and build relationship with them. Be the one who takes the initiative first! Also, one must be client-motivated.

 

Not only must a real estate agent have this drive in putting their clients’ interest first, they must also be able to demonstrate tenacity by advising clients on the hard truth of their property. Provide un-biased opinions, don’t try to push sell. 

 

 

My area of focus is in the private residential market, especially in the core district of 1, 2, 3 and 9, 10, 11. On top of that, my clientele base revolves a lot in the HDB and industrial segment which many agents do not have the confidence to tap into.

 

 

For every client whom I have worked with, I will always ensure that I respond to their queries promptly. Being straightforward to my clients by not sugar-coating, and giving them more confidence in making the right decision. Most importantly, I am a client motivated salesperson who always put my clients’ interest first.

 

 

First and foremost, I am grateful to have a wife who supports and trust me in whatever I do. 

 

 

Secondly, I would like to express my gratitude to my family and friends who have lend me a helping hand by entrusting their property investments with me when I first embarked in the real estate industry.

 

 

Lastly, I would also like to express my gratitude to my manager. His leadership skills make it easy to manage our team, even with our diverse professional background.

 

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