Many Singaporeans are turning to real estate as a career with most citing flexibility and uncapped earning potential as their main reason. The popularity of this career path can be seen from the increase in property consultations in Singapore over the past years. According to data from the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), there were 35,251 property agents as of January 1, 2024. This represents a 2.4% increase from the 34,427 agents at the start of 2023 and an 8.8% rise from 32,414 agents in 2022.

Being in the real estate industry, many of my friends are intrigued by this career option but most of them are too afraid to take a leap of faith due to the instability of income that comes with any commission-based jobs. To that end, I have shared with them many stories of newbie agents who achieved success beyond the wildest imagination. Maybe it's time I share three of such agents who achieved huge successes in under three years of joining the industry.

"Every day, I aim to be a better version of myself. I embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth, knowing they shape the person I am becoming."

A frontline worker for 10 years, Adee served the community as a nurse and has braved through tough times like the COVID-19 pandemic. She graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a degree in nursing. A strong and resilient lady who always wanted to give back to the community that she was brought up in. Being a nurse gave her an opportunity to touch the lives of others.

(Adee during her nursing days)

As a nurse, Adee always had an interest in real estate. In her personal capacity, she went through several property courses to understand different ways she can utilise property as a means of investment. Apart from personal interest, she wanted to also create more assets so that she can provide her family with a better life, especially her two young children. Apart from that, we usually have the luxury of getting our parents to help out with taking care of our children but Adee did not have that option as she had already lost both of them. The long and irregular hours as a nurse meant she had no control over the time she spent with her children.

She took a further leap of faith by sitting for the RES exams and after perseverance and 3 attempts later, she got her licence. Adee started as a part-time agent for the first six months of her real estate chapter, and then decided that if she wanted to do something well, she had to be focused on it so we decided to come onboard full-time. Her decision to do so paid off as she was the top Malay Muslim producer in just her second year, being the elite of elites as the top 1% in PropNex.

(Receiving her award at our annual gala in 2023)

With the momentum of her incredible feat, Adee pushed even harder in 2024 clinching SIX platinum awards (6-figure earnings in a month) consecutively. And it only took her 10 months to hit the status of a millionaire. Imagine coming from a different industry and achieving millionaire status in under three years. She attributes her success to her continued efforts in social media posts, ensuring she always keeps her followers engaged and updated.

In the end, Adee finds full fulfilment in this career as the flexible hours allow her to spend quality time with her family and also just like a nurse - she is able to touch lives in a different but significant way.

(Receiving her awards at her division level award ceremony)

"Climbing higher isn't about having the world see you, but about giving yourself the chance to see the world"

Originally from Putian, Fujian, Huang Han moved to Singapore with his family when he was just 12. Because of the difference in the education system, Huang Han was posted to Primary 4 as opposed to being a Primary 6 student like regular 12 year olds. The transition wasn't an easy thing for him as English at that time was a very foreign language to him which he had much difficulty grasping. Huang Han met Christian Oh and Jervis Ng, of JNA Real Estate, in primary school and never imagined that childhood friendship would spur him on to achieve what he achieved later on in life.

(Huang Han & family becoming citizens)

Just like any Singaporean son, Huang Han served national service and right after that he went to university to attain his business degree. And through all this time, he kept in contact with his childhood buddies and saw their progression in their real estate careers and knew immediately that he wanted to be as successful as they are.

Huang Han took a job with a local bank and studied for his RES exams, trying his best to get his licence as soon as he could, so that he could join his buddies in the real estate business. He passed paper 2 (financial calculations) on his first attempt but it took him five attempts to pass paper 1 (property law), before he finally could become an agent.

In his first year, Huanghan worked within his own network and connections, primarily with Chinese clients, as it was within his comfort zone. In the second year, as he focused more on real estate investment, Huanghan positioned himself as a data-driven individual and began prospecting cold leads. Through this process, he connected with many local real estate investors who were willing to place their trust in him. With the help of state-of-the-arts PropTech like Investment Suite, he was able to provide his clients with a myriad of market insights and real-time data which in turn led to more closings.

(Receiving his award at our annual gala in 2023)

But 2024 was a breakthrough year for him, Huang Han was able to hit the million-dollar commission milestone in just 10 months. His decision to join JNA was not only influenced by their exceptional expertise in real estate investments but also by their steadfast commitment to prioritising the interests of their clients above all else. That's the reason Huanghan was able to hit the million-dollar commission milestone in just 10 months.

The proudest thing for Huang Han is not hitting the million-dollar mark, but it is the fact that 80% of his transactions were Singaporeans. Eventually he realised that he didn't have to speak the Queen's English or sounded the most perfect linguistically; because the data, the research and his impeccable care and service for his clients were things that made them believe in him.

On top of that, Huang Han frequents Shanghai to attend business conferences to share about his passion for the Singapore real estate market and why he believes it is one of the best places to buy property. On such trips, Huang Han usually meets with top leaders of different industries and helps them understand the opportunities in the Singapore market and aid them with relocation as well. Huanghan firmly believes in advising his clients to purchase investment properties that he would personally invest in himself.

(Huang Han in Shanghai with industry leaders)

"Everyday is equally precious. A day to use or lose is entirely in your hands."

A typical life is to study, graduate, get a 9 to 5 job and work until you retire. That was what Poh Shen thought when he graduated from school. He joined an IT firm right out from school and worked there for three years. His wife gave birth to his son when he was working there and he decided to quit his job due to the demands and long hours of his job. He wanted to spend more time with his family.

He then went on to join his mother in her hawker business of 13 years, to sell traditional pancakes. Even though the working hours of a hawker can be long as well, at least he started his day early at 4am and could end at about 2pm, which meant he had the rest of the day to spend with his family. A year into his hawker tenure, his wife was expecting their second child, and this time he knew he wanted a job that is even more flexible. He needed a job that he could arrange his own time and also had higher earning capabilities especially with one more member in the household. He decided to become a real estate agent.

(Working at his mother's pancake stall)

Having no prior experience in real estate, he took a leap of faith and jumped into the industry last year in August. And within such a short span a year, Poh Shen had achieved Platinum awards in the months of January, March and June this year. In fact he was the top PropNex Gen (agents under 30) agent in the first quarter and had received the rising millionaire (commissions over half a million) award.

(Receiving his award at our quarterly Leaders Achievers Business Conference)

Poh Shen believes joining PropNex was one of the best decisions he's ever made. Just like the traditional pancakes his mother used to make-crafted with love and care-he finds that the culture at PropNex is similarly built on genuine passion and dedication. This alignment with his values has not only allowed him to spend more quality time with his family, but also increased his earning potential, making it a true win-win situation.

(Poh Shen and his family)

I'm sure you are inspired by their stories, and no, their achievements do not come easily, but with the right setup and the correct structure you can increase your chances of success by multiple folds. Head over here to find out more about how we can help you craft your very own success story today!