99.co’s property agent success stories: Adrian Tan

Ever wondered what it is like being a property agent?

In this new series entitled Agent Success Stories, we sit down with agency leaders to find out their side of the story. From their humble beginnings to the challenges they have faced on the road to success, we learn that a career in the real estate industry is one filled with boundless opportunities – if you know where to look.

Today, 99.co speaks to Adrian Tan, Executive Director at SLP. With over a decade’s worth of experience under his belt, Adrian now sits on the management team at SLP. He is fueled by his passion for passing on his skills and knowledge to the next generation of real estate agents. Find out more about what motivates Adrian, and his plans moving forward.

Why did you enter the real estate industry?

After completing National Service, I joined the sales department at a local listed company. I’m a very people-oriented person so going into sales was a very natural thing for me to do. After being with my first employer for a period of time, I was headhunted to join an MNC where I conducted training for their sales force. This opportunity took me overseas and I had the chance to work in the Hong Kong and China market.

In 2007, I realised that I wanted to level up my skills in sales; entering the real estate industry seemed like the next right step for me to take. Luckily, my decision proved to be correct and being in the property line brought me a certain level of success. I have consistently been one of the top producers at agencies I have worked at before. 

How was it when you first started out? What was your make-or-break moment?

I remember breaking out in cold sweat then as I had zero leads! I went from door-to-door, making cold calls. I know my peers invested money in marketing efforts, but I took the road less travelled (literally!) and used hard work in place of monetary effort. Eventually, that paid off and I gained enough leads to make a comfortable living in real estate.

What inspired you to join SLP?

I joined SLP because I felt that it provided opportunities above and beyond what traditional property agencies offer – SLP offers a spectrum of real estate and wealth management services. As such, my clients have a variety of investment options to choose from that best suit their needs and risk appetites.

Has 99.co contributed to your success?

The leads I receive from 99.co are genuine leads; this has been very helpful in helping me close deals, especially in the rental market. I also like using the chat function of 99.co.

What kind of training and support do you provide to your agents at SLP?

Our training material is very different from what is conventionally offered by other agencies. Some of the training programmes we offer include the Industrial Ambassador Programme which teaches agents what to look out for in industrial investments. At the Real Wealth Academy, we provide training on financial products such as stocks and bonds. Our agents are also given the chance to network with high net worth clients.

Every Monday, we give an update and overview of the financial market, and how it has performed. SLP agents have a well-rounded understanding of the different investment vehicles available, and we are very much in tune with global affairs and happenings.

As a company, SLP is willing to invest to groom agents. We provide the space for our agents to work as hard as they wish to. For instance, our office is open 24/7 for our agents to use. Agents are able to clock in Continuous Progress Development points when they attend training.

At SLP, we are one big family – we support each other in our real estate journeys and celebrate our victories together.

How do you market units that are less than ideal?

I firmly believe that all houses can be sold. It’s a matter of surfacing its good points and bringing them to the buyer’s attention. Market the unit according to what your client feels is important to him or her.

Can you share with us an instance when you had to deal with a difficult client?

I’m happy to share that I’ve not had a difficult client in all my 10 years in real estate! It’s very simple – if you make the effort to develop a good relationship with your client, they won’t put you in a difficult position

What advice do you have for agents who have just started their real estate journey?

Most definitely to take action using what they have learnt! I know of agents who attend a lot of training, but end up doing nothing with all the skills they have picked up. These tools can be leveraged upon to help you grow your business. If you got them, please use them!

If you’re in the property industry for the long haul, you must start growing a very thick skin. The journey of a real estate agent is paved with rejections. If you want to be successful, you have to get past each and every rejection as quickly as you can. Set yourself a target – every time you encounter a rejection, focus on that target and keep going!

Any other advice?

The property market will always go up, and down, and up again. Be very in tune with market trends and fluctuations. Our job is also to help our clients grow their assets – that is the value we bring to their lives as their property agent.

What I consider to be luck is merely preparation meeting opportunity. Hence, I always tell my agents to ready themselves for their big break, by constantly upgrading themselves through training and to keep looking for that opportunity in order to achieve their personal breakthroughs.