Eight-time millionaire achievers and PropNex’s champion couple: How Vevien Ong and Bernard Ng built a 250-agent team that clocked over S$20 million in commissions

As eight-time Millionaire Award achievers, husband-and-wife duo Vevien Ong and Bernard Ng have established themselves as PropNex’s No. 1 Champion Couple for a few consecutive years. But their proudest achievement goes beyond their own performance.

It is the team they have built around them.

In just six years, #VevienOngDistrict (IG: @vevienongdistrict) has grown from two young agents into a district of more than 250. In 2025 alone, the team earned over S$20 million in commissions, with two millionaire achievers and 12 rising millionaires.

Behind those figures are people they have helped develop: a new agent learning to advise clients confidently, an experienced producer finding their footing again, or a new leader becoming someone their own team can rely on.

Vevien and Bernard remain closely involved in that work. They still meet clients, study the numbers, handle negotiations and work through difficult transactions. Staying active in sales keeps their teaching practical and gives them a firsthand understanding of the pressures their agents face.

Over the years, they have worked to make the knowledge behind their personal success something others can learn and apply.

A partnership that started at 15

Vevien and Bernard met when they were 15, years before either began a career in property.

Vevien entered real estate at 23 after graduating from the University of Birmingham. She wanted to build something of her own and was drawn to a career where her progress would depend on what she was prepared to put into it.

“I wanted a career where my growth was in my own hands,” she recalls. “Real estate gave me the freedom to push beyond my limits and build a future on my own terms.”

Property was already a familiar part of her life. Growing up, she watched her parents invest in real estate and moved homes 10 times. She saw how property decisions could change a family’s circumstances, and how much those decisions mattered beyond the purchase itself.

Bernard began working part-time as an agent while at university. That early experience gave him a practical education in the business: understanding clients, responding to the market and working through the realities of a transaction.

They brought different strengths to their partnership, along with a shared willingness to work and learn. When they decided to build a team together, they started with just the two of them.

Staying close to the work

Consistent performance carries weight in real estate. Agents want to know whether the advice they receive holds up in an actual client meeting, negotiation or changing market.

For Vevien and Bernard, continuing to sell gives them a direct answer.

“You cannot teach what you are no longer willing to do yourself,” Vevien says. “The strategies we share are not just theory — they are methods we continue to apply in the market every day.”

Their experience feeds into the team’s training and case discussions. They can explain how they assessed a property, why they recommended a particular course of action and what they did when a transaction became difficult.

That also means being willing to refine their approach. A method that worked before still needs to be tested against the client’s circumstances and the market today.

Giving agents a clear place to start

Passing the RES examination is one step. Knowing how to build a working real estate business is another.

A new agent has plenty to figure out: where to find clients, how to prepare for an appointment, how to assess a property and how to explain a recommendation clearly.

VOD gives that learning a structure.

New agents receive more than 30 hours of hands-on training led by nine millionaire achievers. The programme covers market analysis, lead generation and client presentations, with specific approaches for HDB, private resale and new-launch properties.

The VOD Playbook includes three presentation frameworks for those markets. Role-playing and case discussions help agents practise using what they have learnt before applying it with clients.

The intention is for agents to understand their recommendations well enough to explain and defend them.

“We want our agents to understand the numbers, the market and the client before recommending the right strategy,” Vevien explains.

That requires more than a polished presentation. An agent needs to ask useful questions, recognise what matters to the client and know when an option does not fit.

When hard work stops moving you forward

Experienced agents face a different challenge. Many already serve their clients well and know how to close a deal, yet find themselves working harder without making the progress they want.

Sometimes the missing piece is a more consistent approach to prospecting. Sometimes it is stronger market knowledge, clearer positioning or a better way to conduct client conversations.

Vevien and Bernard’s approach is to build on the experience an agent already has.

“Proven systems should not erase your experience,” Vevien says. “They should sharpen it and help you use it more effectively.”

Within VOD, experienced agents can review their approach, discuss cases and learn from how others handle similar situations. Several agents who joined from other teams have subsequently earned multiple Platinum Awards and achieved personal sales milestones.

There is practical value in being able to bring a problem to someone who has dealt with it before. It gives agents another perspective and a clearer sense of what to try next.

Learning to lead other people

For agents who want to build teams of their own, strong sales performance is only the beginning.

Leadership calls for different skills: explaining something patiently, identifying why an agent is struggling, setting expectations and having honest conversations about performance.

VOD’s emerging leaders receive guidance in mentoring, training, accountability and team culture. They also get opportunities to take responsibility within the district and develop their own judgment.

Vevien and Bernard want leaders who can support their people without having to refer every decision back to them. As the district grows, the quality of day-to-day guidance should grow with it.

Support comes with expectations

VOD’s culture makes room for both generosity and accountability.

Agents are encouraged to share what they know, discuss difficult cases and help one another improve. They are also expected to take ownership of their work.

Training can give an agent direction. A leader can help them prepare. The agent still has to make the calls, follow up, attend appointments and apply what they have learnt.

“We do not chase results without building the person first,” Vevien says. “The results come when people have the right habits, the right mindset and the right environment.”

In a commission-based career, those habits matter particularly when results are slow. It takes discipline to keep prospecting after a disappointing month, prepare carefully for the next appointment and examine what could have been done better.

Vevien and Bernard know those periods themselves. Their own setbacks have shaped how they support agents who are going through them.

Marketing that leads to a useful conversation

VOD supports its agents with campaign strategy, content creation, photography and videography. Its in-house digital capabilities help agents present listings professionally and build a recognisable presence.

But an enquiry is only the start of the work.

Agents need the knowledge to answer questions, the discipline to follow up and the judgment to work out whether a property suits the person asking about it.

“We always run the numbers,” Vevien says. “We study the data and the market before making a recommendation. Our advice cannot be based on guesswork.”

The same standard applies to content. Understanding what buyers and sellers are concerned about helps agents create marketing that gives people a reason to start a conversation.

The advice has to fit the client

A client’s property decision sits within a much larger picture: their income, family commitments, available funds, appetite for risk and plans for the years ahead.

Vevien and Bernard begin there.

“It is never a one-size-fits-all approach,” Vevien explains. “We have to understand where the client is today and where they hope to be in the future.”

For one family, upgrading may make sense. For another, waiting or keeping more financial flexibility may be the better decision. The recommendation needs to reflect those differences.

Taking that responsibility seriously has led to relationships that extend well beyond a transaction.

One began with a rental. Over time, the client went on to purchase a Sentosa condominium for their own stay and an investment property that was later sold at a profit. The relationship became a friendship, with the client attending Vevien’s wedding and continuing to share in family milestones.

“These are the relationships that stay with us,” she says. “The greatest reward is knowing that a client trusted you through different stages of their life.”

What the results make possible

Income matters in this business. Vevien and Bernard see what greater financial stability can mean for their agents: supporting parents, buying a first home, getting married or starting a family.

“We love watching our agents get married, start families and create a better life for themselves,” Vevien says. “That is when the achievements become truly meaningful.”

They also understand the uncertainty that comes before those milestones. They remember starting out, waiting for the next transaction and learning through difficult experiences.

“If I could turn back time, I would not remove the difficult moments,” Vevien reflects. “Every challenge made me a better leader because it helped me understand what our agents go through.”

That experience shapes a straightforward commitment: when agents encounter a challenge, they should have someone to turn to who can help them work through it.

Growing a team they can be proud of

As VevienOngDistrict grows, Vevien and Bernard want its standards to hold: agents who know their work, leaders who take responsibility for their people and advice that clients can trust.

That means continuing to teach, reviewing what works and staying involved in the business themselves.

Their awards reflect what they have achieved personally. The district’s next chapter depends on how well they help others develop the knowledge, habits and judgment to build careers of their own.

For the couple who began as two young agents, that work has become an increasingly meaningful part of success. 

To connect with Vevien and Bernard or learn more about #VevienOngDistrict, contact Vevien at +65 9223 9930 or Bernard at +65 9733 6685.