Women Real Estate Negotiators in Sabah

Mei Boon

Head of Investments (Commercial & Land Strategist) at Property Hub

As women, we carry so many roles and it’s not easy because we have to also push ourselves to prove that our standard can compete with men. In 2019 I made myself proud when I won the national award of Sabah Commercial Real Estate Negotiator of the Year. That was the first time a lady represented Sabah for this national award.

Then in December 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and all through 2020 I went through chemotherapy. On top of that, I had a home business with my husband to help our family stay afloat during the pandemic.

I would definitely encourage other women to join this industry. Women do things differently from men, and we have our own traits that make us great players in real estate. Plus there is the flexibility of time, no initial start-up and as you progress in time you really can see great results.

With a COVID vaccine coming out soon, I see a glimpse of hope for movement in the industry. Last year I was able to conclude a resort land sale but since then it was not materialised, so with sectors opening up again, I hope to see things like this make progress and instead of surviving, I hope to see us thriving.

Stephennie Yong

Leader Elite Team at IQI Juwai

I started in 2014 to earn extra income and when I got married and started my family, real estate became my life to support my family. My biggest challenge was managing my time. As an active negotiator, not only do I have to take care of my clients but have to take care of my family as a mum and a wife.

Within the first one to three years of investing my time in real estate, I received silver and gold recognition as the highest achiever in sales.

A time that stands out to me was when I helped a client get back and purchase the childhood home that he had previously lost.

My hope is that more developers will be able to build more landed properties with improved layout designs to be more spacious so that it would benefit families and communities in Sabah. As land costs in Sabah may be considered to be quite high, it would be great if more emphasis could be put on improving home livability.

On top of that, it would be great if the state government can look into the issuance of individual/strata titles as many are still under master titles, hence not giving an assurance to the home owners that are still lingering with this dilemma.

Philomena Chai

Agency Leader at Propnex Sabah

I started to invest in property in my 20s because I knew that by investing and reselling I could gain extra monthly income. Then in my early 30s, I joined a developer company and I was able to gain experience in oversea properties. That's when my passion for real estate really began. My greatest achievement so far in real estate was starting the Propnex brand in Kota Kinabalu and building my Propnex family!

First, you have to know what is your objective. Maybe it's for freedom or maybe it is to earn more income for your family. What is your "why?" You should also join a solid company that can acknowledge your performance and help you to build ur brand.

All in all, we look forward to a busy and fruitful year ahead providing our service to the different segments of the market we feel will be active in 2021.

Romina Voon

Senior Division Leader of Agency Department at Laurel Cap

14 years ago in 2007, I was working for a corporate company and I was having second thoughts about my future. It was then that I met a person who would one day become my mentor. He advised me to look into property as it could provide a path to financial freedom, a flexible schedule and a tremendous networking opportunity. The rest is history!

You also have to be disciplined and have a thick face when dealing with rejection. Eventually, this will help you build a strong EQ.

Through real estate, I have become a leader and it is a great achievement to see new REN growth in my team at Laurelcap who are now like family to me. I love to see us all make it in the industry!

My advise to women in real estate is:

1. Find a good mentor
2. Adopt the correct character and mindset
3. Never give up!

Mary Yu

MIEA Sabah Branch Chairlady

Real estate is not just about sales and closing deals. It will widen your spectrum of life when you meet and serve all kinds of people. You can gain knowledge from a book or any workplace, but this industry requires extensive experience in meeting client needs.

Solving people's conflict is an ongoing challenge I am still learning to overcome. While working as an estate agent, there are times I cannot meet the needs of all parties. I need the wisdom to provide innovative solutions and to keep up good personal relationships.

I always remind myself that challenges are opportunities to overcome adversity and grow resilience.

Through the sub-sale and secondary market, my team and I have established good relationships with our clients. We even assist our clients from other states and countries in leasing management.

To all women, let's grow in emotional intelligence! We need wisdom and prudence to sustain in this industry. Learn from those who are rich with experience. You are not alone in this journey and I am so proud of your persistence and perseverance!

The real estate industry is growing to be more competitive and challenging in Malaysia. We need practitioners that thrive in this challenging market. In any market, there will always be people who make money, but in the real estate market, they are people looking for a home.

Ivy Chong

Managing Director of CSJ Properties Sdn Bhd and HR Manager of Bornion Realty

Back when I first invested in properties, I realized that there was a huge growth opportunity in the real estate industry. Thus, I made the decision to operate a real estate company with my partners.

One of the hardest challenges that I faced was leadership. I have had to guide my team to become professional negotiators so that they could communicate better with clients and improve sales.

Follow your leader's footstep and advice and believe that you can be a professional negotiator. Keep trying no matter how many obstacles are ahead of you because we are a team!