Since starting her career in property development 23 years ago, Michelle has steadily progressed to be a leading voice by learning to adapt and collaborate with all sectors of the industry.

Her journey began when she met her mentor, the founder of Arkitek OMA SDN BHD, Ar. Lee Hon Liong, at the first International Property Exhibition and Ideal Home Show (IPEX) exhibition.

He was the chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) at the time and encouraged her to venture into property development by joining his firm.

"Since then, I've been pursuing this career path due to my growing interest from day one to learn from different aspects of the industry."

She went from a business graduate to eventually handling RM500 million GDV projects as General Manager of (Sabah Branch) Mah Sing Group Berhad.

Today she is using her plethora of knowledge and experience to develop new, innovative projects with Meta Bright Group Berhad.

As a leading woman in real estate, Michelle's story highlights the importance of men also mentoring and supporting women. By working together, more can reach new heights in the industry as a whole.

"I have had the opportunity to gain knowledge and work with different working peers from other supporting professions, such as consultants, local authorities, bankers and lawyers. "

Through the learning curve of working with various professionals came many moments of realisation and adaptation.

"I studied business so I needed double the effort to learn all the technical and legal knowledge related to the property industry along the way.

Finding my voice and sharpening my knowledge has motivated me to pursue this path.

Another challenge is managing people from different backgrounds and personalities. In order to further develop and grow them into a progressive and cohesive team with good team work spirit."

In real estate and property development, developing your connections and relationships is essential to advance in your career. That's why Michelle believes in learning from others and then leading by example.

"Being in the top management, I always have to enhance my personal skills in managing people from different backgrounds.

My advice is to be confident in yourself, never give up in learning and exploring new things.

Personality, integrity and responsibility are important traits to progress further in career path."

Michelle is just one of eight Women In Real Estate 2023.

You can read the other stories here.

Women In Real Estate is an annual celebration by Property Hunter in conjunction with International Women's Day.

For the month of March, stories of inspiring women is shared to encourage and build a community of real estate professionals in all sectors of the industry.

Recognising the movement of rising women in real estate

Special thanks to Hyatt Centric, Kota Kinabalu for sponsoring the photoshoot set and interview space.