Harnessing the value of research and data

Real estate negotiator Adrian Tan (pictured) was in the accounting line for eight years before he switched over to real estate.

“At first, when I started out in the accounting line it was interesting because I learnt many new ways of tackling problems at work. However, after a while, things became very repetitive and I felt like I was on autopilot mode,” recounts the University of Sydney Bachelors of Commerce graduate who majored in Accounting and Finance.

“When I was deciding which course to pursue, it was either medicine, business, law or engineering. If you mention other courses like music, your parents will say, ‘No, you cannot pursue this course or I will commit suicide!’ So I gravitated towards numbers and took up commerce,” reminisces Tan, who is now a negotiator with GMAC Realtors.

Tan had also worked part time while he was studying in Australia by helping clients submit their income tax filings. He then decided to come back to Malaysia and began work in the auditing line and went on to work in several accounting firms.

One day, a friend offered him a very interesting proposition. “My friend told me this: Property prices grow in tandem with the rate of inflation. If inflation goes up, property prices go up as well. Then your wages will also increase accordingly. On top of that, you don’t need to rely on your bosses for your appraisal!”

His friend’s words made so much sense to him that he decided to change his career path and joined Asian Land Realty in 2011 before moving to GMAC Realtors early this year.

Tan has another friend to thank for his early days as a negotiator. “This friend introduced me to my first client and helped me arrange the house viewing. She even taught me that even when a client is set on closing a deal, I still need to bring them to view several other houses so that they are really certain with their choice,” says Tan, adding that his friend let him close the deal without taking a cut.

Business had been good until two years ago when the market slowed. “I would advertise my listings on different online portals and printed banners. Every day, I made calls to clients and just waited for them to call me back. When my phone rang, there were more homeowners asking me to help them sell their houses instead of buyers wanting to buy,” says Tan. He was tempted to go back to the accounting line but his superior advised him to stay on a little longer.

“He told me to hang in there because the property business is cyclical. If I don’t hang in there, when the cycle comes up, I won’t be able to reap my harvest,” he says.

His own book

Over the past two years, he reveals that many clients have been asking him about buying properties surrounding the upcoming mass rapid transit (MRT) stations.

“Whenever a client comes to me [asking about which MRT-adjacent properties to buy], I will do my research and send them a report within a week. Some of my friends say I take my job too seriously but I feel, if you want to do something, you need to do it well. You need to put your whole heart into it. Don’t just give a one or two lines answer to your clients even if some of them may not come back to you,” Tan stresses.

Then he had this idea — that since he was already doing so much research, he might as well compile all the information into a book.

“In 2015, I self-published my very first book with the help of my former company which shared the printing cost. The first batch sold quite well. The Borders branch at The Curve also carried the books on consignment,” says Tan.

Shortly after that, Tan approached several publishers and Kanyin Publications published the 2016 edition. “I am currently working on the 2017 edition. I am also working on another book about properties surrounding the Kelana Jaya-Ampang LRT (light rail transit) Line. I’ve got a great team behind me. I have a team of freelancers who collates the data for me which I will then review and compile to ensure the accuracy of the data. My wife will then go through all the formatting and make sure all the small details such as the spelling and spacing are correct,” he says.

On the future, if everything goes well, Tan sees himself leading his own team in five years’ time.

“These two years have definitely rattled my confidence a bit, so I am working on improving my personal sales skills for now. I want to improve my work and when the time is right, I will be ready to lead my own team,” offers Tan with a smile.

This story first appeared in TheEdgeProperty.com pullout on Dec 9, 2016, which comes with The Edge Financial Daily every Friday. Download TheEdgeProperty.com pullout here for free.