From then to now

WHO’S THIS ASIAN female WITH THE GERMAN LAST NAME?

Actually, I’m Singaporean! Well, Singaporean of Chinese ancestry who married a German, is where the last name came from.

By now, many would come to know Singapore through the movie Crazy Rich Asians. Prior to this, people I meet would often ask if it was a territory of China. Not a problem; it is but a very small and young country (54 years) so no surprises that it isn’t well-known. I’m just glad that there’s now a better understanding about it.

Side note, I’m also very relieved that the movie was what it was and did not turn out to be what Borat did to Kazakhstan!

I’m bilingual - English is my first language and Chinese as my second. Prior to my relocation my work comprised of business development and strategy consulting for companies that look to expand abroad.

I LIVED TO WORK. REAL ESTATE WOULD SET ME ON WORKING TO LIVE.

I didn’t hate my job then. Work was dynamic; I expanded my knowledge exponentially and was happy meeting a diversified group of clients. I just came to a realization that my type of work consumed my life.

Gosh, I worked to my bones. 9am till 7.30pm during the weekdays, maybe a couple more hours in the evening after dinner for calls with my colleagues abroad, then a few hours in the weekends to get ahead in emails and prepare for weekday meetings. Work hard to play hard? Sorry, I had no energy left.

I saw relocation as an opportunity for me to start afresh. In a new environment, outside of familial and societal expectations, I thought I could try something different and even afford some missteps along the way.

Over 90% of millionaires have a real estate portfolio? You don’t need personal money to profit from an investment deal? Accumulate enough rental properties to retire early on passive income?

Music to my ears.

My full story on exploring the world of real estate investing should be an entire blog post by itself, but the gist is, I’ve begun my quest towards financial freedom that real estate offers.

In working towards my goal to retire before fifty, I’ve come to realize that I love it.

I love the hunt for a deal. There’s a thrill in looking for that property or land, doing the due diligence to quantify it beyond face value and fitting it into an investment strategy. Would it be a flip? A condo conversion? A long term buy-and-hold? Subdivision? My heart does a figurative cartwheel whenever I hit the equal sign on my calculator and the numbers turn out right.

It struck me that I’ve never once complained about working too late, or too much, on real estate. Lucky me, I’ve found my passion!

MY PASSION MAKES ME An awesome REAL ESTATE AGENT- AN INVESTOR’S AGENT.

Properties are an investment for the future. Your house should be a home, but it should ultimately check the box of being a sound investment. Call me the Investor’s Agent, because you are definitely an investor!

No one wants to overpay. I could be one of a thousand agents who take you to viewings and provide insights to the town, then encourage you to submit an offer because you fell in love with the granite countertops; or I could approach each property with shrewdness and make sure you’re getting a sound investment (while still loving the granite countertops).

I could teach you to read the market. And in doing so, you know where you stand when you make an offer. Overpay if you must, but do it consciously, and not because you thought you could afford the asking price.

I could help you build your investment portfolio. My strength is in research and number crunching. Tell me the return on investment that you’re looking for, and the type of properties you favor. I will check zoning laws, speak to the town and look up the Registry of Deeds for easements and liens. I’m assessing risk right there with you.

I price it right. If you need to sell your home quick, I know the profit margins that house flippers expect and could advise you on the price that your house would need to sell at. I have a network of investor contacts who could make you an all-cash, no contingency, quick closing offer. But let’s not go there if you don’t have to. I would most certainly prefer to help you price it right for regular homebuyers.

Because I think I’m pretty awesome in marketing, and every listing is an opportunity for me to get creative on marketing your home! No more mediocre marketing; for the commission that you pay, you deserve throngs of people taking an interest and putting in offers!

AM I WORTHY OF YOUR TRUST?

If you’ve read to this paragraph, I would like to thank you for sustaining your interest and curiosity of getting to know me. Through this website and my blog posts, I hope I’ll shed some light into my background, personality and character.

How do you choose from the multitude of real estate agents and conclude who has your best interest at heart? Trust- it is the fundamental fabric that holds agent-client relationships - and investment deals - together.

In the days to come this website will be populated with content; be it my knowledge, experience, or seemingly random posts about my life. I’ll be spilling the good, the bad and the ugly. I will do so honestly.

I hope you’ll see something here that would resonate with you and that you’d come to decide that I’m worth a shot of your trust.

With that, I look forward to meeting you.