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.
Oliver Tan, Chief Trainer and Consumer Seminar speaker from Huttons Asia Pte Ltd has gone on to help many property seekers find their dream home. Throughout his many years of experience, he has been featured on CNA and has been invited by various property portals to conduct consumer seminars to share his knowledge as a chief trainer, to share his knowledge to the general public.
Upon meeting Oliver, his genuine personality is quick to shine through as his willingness to share both the highs and lows in real estate showcased the transparent attitude he prides himself for when interacting with his clients. Being a strong believer in always making a well-informed decision, he sets himself apart by always going the extra mile to help his clients. He takes the stress off his clients by not only guiding, but proving how easily achievable anyone can make a transformative change in their lives through learning more about the real estate market. Till date, he has proven not only a formidable property consultant but also a confidant as he acts as a bridge of knowledge to help his clients take another step closer to achieving their lifelong property goals.
Always staying true to his values
Prior to joining real estate, Oliver worked in the banking industry and gained the opportunity of honing his financial literacy skills. Throughout his career, his extroverted personality and customer-first mentality made it easy for him to rise the ranks as he discovered his forte in active listening. Regardless of who he was interacting with, he was always able to adapt to the needs of the client as he knew exactly how to talk to them and simplify complicated terms that would help them make better decisions.
Despite the comfortable lifestyle, he began to face a conflict of interest between what the company wanted and what he believed would be best for his clients. Overtime, he found himself struggling to deliver and began to crave autonomy over which products he could sell. This pushed Oliver to seek a change in environment and eventually took a leap of faith to pursue his passion for real estate and has since, never looked back.
Transforming his life after hitting rock bottom
When Oliver first entered the industry, he directed most of his efforts to HDB Rentals. He recalls how he faced a steep learning curve as he would work from 7am to 11pm to not only learn more about the industry, but go door to door sourcing for new leads. Despite his busy schedule, he would always be by his phone, readily contactable by clients no matter what time it was.
Oliver’s career faced a turning point when he closed his first listing. This propelled him to develop a shift in mentality as his hunger to grow personally and professionally pushed him even further to explore other property markets and clientele. Knowing that every second was vital, he established a daily routine of waking up at 4.30am to exercise and learn more about the various asset classes from HDB to Condo, landed and GCB. In fact, he began to read up more about human behaviour, psychology and how to hone his communication skills to help him understand the needs of his clients in a short span of time.
Combining both his discipline and passion in real estate, it brewed the perfect combination for success as he began to see a spike in referrals and grew even more confident in what he could offer his clients. Today, he has gone on to achieve the Number one position in Huttons and the Millionaire Achiever Award 2019, 2020 and 2021 consecutively over the past few years.
Offering value different from the rest
Staying up to date with the constantly changing property trends is never easy. But to Oliver, being a consumer-facing speaker, it has become so ingrained within his routine to always be the first to hear about the latest property developments or consumer behavioural trends. With knowledgeable insights and on ground experience, Oliver proves highly knowledgeable consultant when working within a wide spectrum of properties ranging from HDBs, Condos, landed properties and GCBs.
When meeting a client for the first time, he would always begin by asking questions to get a better idea of what their future plans are. From there he would personalise each consultation according to their financial capabilities and lifestyle. Having witnessed first hand how numerous clients tend to be unaware of their financial options, he would take it upon himself to prepare data and a portfolio of properties for the client to choose from. “My brain is constantly on the go thinking about what my clients should do next. I am not in a hurry to transact a deal. What comes first is my client understanding why they are doing what they are doing. Once they are clear on it, we can take the next step forward.”
Understanding how the entire process can be very stressful, he takes it a step further by discussing property trends and breaks down the fundamental core of why each trend is taking place. Only with a better understanding of the industry, his clients can always rest assured that they would be made aware of every step and terminology essential to investing or selling a property. Subsequently, he will encourage every client to keep an open mind and list all their available options before guiding them to make smarter decisions.
When asked about a memorable closing, he cites how he had once represented an Indonesian landlord who wanted to sell his property that was last transacted at $1 million. Prior to meeting Oliver, he was comfortable with selling it at $1.3 million. However, this changed after Oliver had promised him a higher offer and managed to get an offer for $1.5 million. Oliver knew that he could achieve a higher price and asked for more time. In just one month later, Oliver successfully pushed the price up to $1.8 million without the owner even asking him to do so and as promised, achieved the best deal possible for his client.
Working for a cause greater than himself
Oliver is most thankful for being in a team and company where his high energy levels are met with equal synergies. He voiced that all he has achieved is only a small fraction of what he is capable of and envisions himself doing something greater for the society. “It is always very important to celebrate the smallest milestones because from a larger perspective, each little achievement is what builds me to become someone who is able to give more value and protect the interests of my clients.”
Another source of motivation stems from his goal to become a beacon of knowledge for those who may need it the most. Having worked alongside a large portfolio of clients from all income levels, he strives to share his knowledge to the general public or those who may not have been able to afford expensive consultancy services. “All of this is just the beginning of what I can give. These small milestones definitely keep me going and I find that results speak for everything. My clients have reason to trust me and I do believe I can achieve a lot more.”
Advice for younger agents today
Oliver encourages all new real estate agents to find it within themselves to never lose track of their goals in life and always work hard to achieve what they’ve set out for themselves. “If you want to be successful, you’ll need to put in the hard work as there is never a shortcut in life. There are some things you’ll need to go through in order to become the person you eventually want to be.”
At the same time, he acknowledges how important it is to put your heart and soul into your work. “Don’t ever deviate too far from why you joined real estate. When you enjoy what you do, you’ll never experience burn out and only by taking good care of your mental health can you achieve a lot more than you thought you could.”
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