The business of selling houses isn’t half as easy as it sounds. Just ask Alyson and Ngee Wei, partners and team leaders of Alyson Siow Division (ASD). Having participated in a new launch together, Alyson was struck by Ngee Wei’s incredible work ethic, and saw the immense potential in the fresh-faced agent who was then only less than 3 months into her job. Wasting no time, Alyson invited Ngee Wei to work with her in a roadshow she organised, and as they say, the rest is history. Now, as mentors of a close-knit team of 33, the mentorship provided by the Alyson-Ngee Wei partnership has seen their team clinching 4 Champion Titles and Top 3 Associate District Director rankings a whopping 7 times in 2021 alone. The latter achievement is a testament to the strength of their overall team, not just one or two star players – a boon in the difficult business of selling houses.
First forays into real estate
Both Alyson and Ngee Wei found themselves in the real estate line after leaving jobs that couldn’t offer them the freedom and development they craved. For Alyson, the decision to leave her job as an auditor was an easy one to make after a friend in the real estate line introduced her to the work. She fell in love with the combination of flexible hours and sales where the sky’s the limit. Although she had to start from scratch in her real estate journey, Alyson drew from her number-crunching and analytical skillsets from her auditing background to sieve out the right projects for her clients. Having been financially mortgage-trained also helped greatly, and she found herself growing to love her job in no time.
Ngee Wei’s entrance into real estate was similar. Her interest and curiosity in property were piqued after she witnessed how a friend moved up the property ladder from buying and selling the houses. Ngee Wei’s passion for the property industry started at a very young age as she saw how her family profit from the booming property market. Ngee Wei’s family was able to make profits from the sales of their properties by making the right entry and exit strategies. As a mathematics degree holder and former MOE teacher specialising in the same subject, Ngee Wei’s strengths lie in numbers, statistics, and data. Ngee Wei’s move to becoming a property agent is a natural step-up as it allows her to combine her interest, passion, and skillsets into one.
Initial struggles
The first 5 years with her previous agency offered Alyson a good start, but she started having concerns when things seemed to dwindle, and sales largely consisted of HDB and resale deals. Although she had ambitions to deal more in new launches and private housing, there wasn’t sufficient guidance for her to do so. Eventually, Alyson made the decision to move where she could adopt the right knowledge for helping her clients make better, financially oriented decisions.
Ngee Wei, on the other hand, claims to have learned the most from bankers and lawyers. Having started out completely on her own, the biggest problem she faced was, in her words, that “you don’t know what you don’t know”. As such, she frequently encountered hiccups and made mistakes that no one pointed out to her. So, when she met bankers who were open to teaching her, Ngee Wei made sure not to miss out on anything when she asked them questions. Thankfully, she also met Alyson, who started imparting her valuable property knowledge on the HDB market.
Building a team from scratch, offering a brand of mentorship they never had
Things started falling into place for the duo once they found their footing; the individual sales and successes they garnered came with admiration from many quarters and multiple requests for mentorship. The struggles that Alyson and Ngee Wei faced when they were just starting out have in no small part shaped their decision to take up the mantle of leadership. Looking back on how lost she felt at times, Ngee Wei strives to be the very kind of mentor she never had. Her belief that agents who have just joined the industry should be “armoured before the war” led to the creation of a system where new agents would never be underprepared from being left to figure things out on their own. The duo began to form their team around people they already knew and wanted to help on an immediate level, such as family members and friends.
As a result, the team has grown to function as a close-knit family with frequent gatherings (more so before COVID-19 hit), working and playing hard together and leaving no one out. Indeed, Alyson maintains that the programs they run for their team are what makes them stand out; the closeness of members throughout the team is nurtured through coaching whenever a new batch joins. Refusing to let the COVID-19 pandemic rain on their parade, they have split their teams up to continue regular meetups which are central to their mentorship practices. Whether through Zoom or physical meetups in the office, Alyson and Ngee Wei put in every effort to meet with the members of their team frequently.
The consultative approach they adopt is part of a larger training program developed with their team in mind. According to Alyson, this program is what distinguishes them from the multitude of agents out there parroting the same things. Geared towards imparting knowledge that cannot be searched online, their training program is rich with in-depth industry expertise, advice, and shortcuts not accessible to the layman. Ngee Wei brings up the example that there is “no way” one can Google how to spot lucrative properties and find the perfect timings to buy or sell their properties at the most profitable price. Most importantly, such knowledge will be imparted and made accessible to the team. Hence, the duo places great emphasis on breaking down complicated topics into comprehensible high-value-added information. Ngee Wei’s background as a MOE teacher has proved especially useful in her current role as a mentor. Having had experience crafting syllabi for school and major events, she is adept at crafting out dedicated programs specifically for educational purposes. The course materials she developed for training provide streamlined and automated guidance related to a range of areas from client interactions to closing deals. In addition, the team pays great attention to lead generation and has their own unique sales funnel system to boost marketing for visitor-to-lead conversion.
By rolling up their sleeves and walking with every member of their team through each stage of their journey, the duo has amassed a wealth of hands-on mentorship experience. From newbies to veterans, they believe that no one is less deserving of what the team can offer and there is always something to learn. New agents are given the opportunity to go through a specialised program consisting of theory and practical guidance covering everything from telemarketing, prospecting, and lead generation, to sharpening their presentation skills. Experienced agents who feel like they are plateauing are taught how to do things differently and be part of a continual learning process to improve themselves. Alyson and Ngee Wei spoke of how veterans with countless years of experience in the property industry were able to pick up fresh and new knowledge from engaging with their content – with some even setting new personal best records.
Now recruiting: Growing their team for greater success
In their advice to younger agents, the duo lists 3 key things to note: first, the financial aspect of the job cannot be understated. Singaporeans need to be assured that they are making good investments; much of that success boils down to the numbers. Second, every individual’s financial situation is different, so it is important to go beyond features of a particular property to look at affordability instead when attempting sales. Lastly, both emotional and physical tenacity is required as part of the job. These go-to tips include going the extra mile and showing up for one’s clients, anticipating lull periods without an income, etc.
Since their humble beginnings, the team has grown to include new recruits, who rise to the top quickly. Both Alyson and Ngee Wei still maintain that the job of a real estate agent is not an easy one. Ngee Wei cites the high barriers of entry and unexpectedly steep learning curve as the main challenges that new agents face. Addressing misconceptions surrounding the rosy pictures of success painted about the property industry, Alyson claims that most people don’t actually know the truth behind it. The self-employed nature of the job requires great discipline and remains as a core team value. This is realised through establishing group codes and practices in place, such as ensuring punctuality for training sessions where no one is interrupted, and everyone’s time is respected. Even though each member of the team is technically in competition with one another, there is an unspoken agreement that there would be no stealing of leads – cultivating a culture where members can rely on each other with trust in mind.
Seeking to build on their successes, the duo has ambitions for the team to hit 6 figures in their annual sales – an accomplishment no other team has achieved. Their vision is to build a top-earning team where members play off each other’s strengths, and possess shared qualities of drive, willingness to learn, and full commitment to excelling in the industry. Not just for the young and hungry, they also welcome agents who are facing problems and are looking for a breakthrough.
Both Alyson and Ngee Wei put their heart and soul into their work as real estate agents. The fulfilment they receive from clients’ referrals and appreciation for a job well done is a motivating force they wish to share with others. This is all the more so for those who join their team – there is a shared sense of responsibility to take utmost care of their team. With the right synergies, it almost feels like family.
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