In this 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.
Dave Choy, Group Director at Huttons, is part of the Dave Choy Group that has gone on to help many property seekers reach their property goals. With over 11 years of experience in real estate, Dave has proven not only an outstanding leader, but also someone who is highly self-aware and prioritises the development of his team.
Bypassing conventional methods
Prior to joining the real estate industry, Dave worked in advertising for a car magazine company. He loved working in a dynamic environment and would feel a constant adrenaline rush whenever he planned a campaign . Despite his success, he hungered for a new change and knew that his dedication could bring him to greater heights . It was then, he met his friend’s mother who was a real estate agent and had the chance to chat with her about exploring the property field.
The promise of a high level autonomy and the lack of an income ceiling of the property industry enticed him. Not long later, he came to the conclusion that he needed to step out of his comfort zone in order to reinvent himself. As a result, he applied for his real estate license and has never looked back since.
Starting from ground zero
When Dave first entered the industry, he found himself facing many obstacles but never once let it slow him down. Back when social media was unheard of, he relied heavily on cold calling as he would spend his free time going door-to-door to distribute flyers and attending training sessions to keep himself up-to-date with the latest property trends. Without sufficient guidance, he found himself engaging in trial and error. He had to learn on the job, while staying receptive to criticism. Overtime, he established his name within the resale market and grew to become greatly respected as he started building his own system for greater success and value for his clients. “I believe everyone can succeed. It only depends on how hungry you are and how much effort you are willing to invest to achieve it.”
Despite the comfortable position, he knew that to give the best value for his clients, he had to constantly be on the lookout for new trends. Being a strong believer in technology, he started noticing how Huttons had provided a range of technological applications and believed that there was great potential for growth as he made the bold move to transit over to Huttons.
His risky decision eventually paid off as he achieved top 1% within the company every consecutive year and the latest awards of Top 10 in HUttons and Top in Local Project and Resale 2020. Apart from making a name for himself, he had also successfully established his own customer relationship management system and built a team of over 100 agents till date as he gained recognition for his leadership as they went on to achieve Top 4 in Division Group District.
Using systematic structures to break grounds
After joining Huttons, Dave voluntarily started from the lowest ground as he wanted to gain ground experience in order to grow as a leader and lead his team to his best ability. His experience has allowed him to set up a successful team structure and customer relationship management system for his Dave Choy Group to grow to become the young, vibrant team of agents it is today.
He understood that it was essential to have an established system and framework in order for all new agents to receive proper mentorship and clear steps to achieving success. Having faced his own hardships when he first started out in the industry, he goes the extra mile to ensure that his team is well versed in technology, product knowledge and property market trends. For this reason, he established a 4 tier framework where every team member can be guided and feel empowered to provide greater value for their clients. “It is important to perfect the system, in order to make the system work for us. Only then can we optimise our energy to do things most effectively and prioritise what is important.”
Setting themselves apart from the rest
Within this 4 Tier Framework, every new agent would have the opportunity to learn the basics of real estate from square one. In the first stage, they would sit through different scenarios on what to do when a client reaches out to them and be exposed to all necessary agent tools and techniques that would help better add value to their clients.
Following this, the agents would then undergo training to teach them how to build their brand and execute marketing campaigns for lead generation. In order to ensure that agents are equipped with the fundamentals of becoming a successful agent, these training strives to empower them to take control over their own marketing initiatives and build their forte in personal branding. Furthermore, with greater exposure to online digital marketing, they will no longer have to worry about missing a pay day as they are able to establish a healthy inflow of leads.
In the third stage, agents will then get the chance to utilise Dave’s Customer Relationship Management System where they will gain exposure to the group’s scripted dashboard. Through this system, they will then be able to enjoy automated, streamline communications between their clients. Using coded scripts, new agents would be able to better manage and qualify their leads as scripted messages are automatically sent to every client who reached out to them. From there, they will be taught how to track the engagement rates with their clients and respond regardless of how busy their schedules are.
In the final stage, agents will be taught how to close deals with a winning pitch and given presentations to build their confidence when interacting with their clients one on one. In fact, to set an exemplary example, he will host frequent sessions where members would be invited to share more about their success stories and strategies as he strongly advocates for an open and sharing culture within his group.
“If you are able to master these frameworks, real estate will not be tough and a six income figure won’t be difficult to achieve.”
Available training programmes for agents
In Dave Choy Group, all agents are offered a broad range of training programmes that would suit the needs of both the new and experienced agents.
Upon joining the team, not only can agents enjoy exclusively created digital agent tools such as automated reports and financial calculators, but also the chance of being mentored by highly skilled agents. Among his many training programmes, it comprises mainly – SWAT and Challengers training.
During SWAT training, the group’s top producers and achievers would share their success strategies through various case studies and what tools to use across resale and new launches. Attendees would be taught the entire process from how to identify projects to carry out financial calculations for their clients and finally, closing their sales. “Instead of spending hours and long periods doing your own research, agents will be provided the tools they need to succeed. Everything will be automated and everyone will be given an equal opportunity to succeed.”
Secondly, the Challengers programme was spearheaded by Dave after he noticed that many hardworking agents possess theoretical knowledge but did not know where to how to plan a closing strategy. All agents would be taught how to plan and execute different marketing strategies according to different case studies as they would get the chance to be put into different teams to formulate their own presentations to share with the group. Through cross sharing, agents would not only feel more confident when dealing with their future clients but encourage cohesion and teamwork amongst the team. Till date, the programme has helped many agents build close networks amongst one another and have become a stepping stone to success in their career.
Balancing both personal and team growth
By balancing both his personal and team commitments, Dave is now a natural at managing his time as he is constantly seeking new methods of automating manual procedures. He is able to lead by example and also stay a relatable leader as he is able to have first hand experience of any set back or consumer changes that his team is facing. “If you are on the ground, you’ll be able to experience the changes in the market and only then can I evaluate what tools need to be improved or implemented to help them do their job more efficiently.”
Advice for younger agents
Dave puts forth that it is vital to be surrounded by the right mentors in order to succeed in this industry. “If you are currently facing a plateau and need a break through, definitely reach out to any of us. I am confident that as long as you have the willingness to learn, you’ll be able to grow in our team.”
“By joining our team, not only will you be able to master the right skills, but also a mentor who will guide you from start to end, to make sure you will always be on the right track.”
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