A sense of belonging is the most significant pull factor in bringing Justin Quek back into OrangeTee & Tie's fold. He left OrangeTee & Tie as an associate deputy director in 2021 after 16 years with the company and rejoined the property agency as its deputy CEO in April this year. Conversations to bring Quek back on board began in February, shortly after the Chinese New Year celebrations.

"In my numerous meetings and interviews with OrangeTee & Tie, it reminded me that I was still loyal to the company," says Quek. "Life is always about timing."

He adds that when he left in 2021, there were "both push and pull factors". He was doing well in OrangeTee & Tie, given various leadership roles and heading projects that increased his visibility back then. "They enabled me to connect with a wider audience," he shares.

OrangeTee & Tie's CEO and managing director Steven Tan approached Quek early this year to discuss how the company could change and introduce best practices. The conversations reminded him of his loyalty. "I may have left [in 2021], but I remained fond of the company, its people and the opportunities it gave me," he says.

When the job offer came, Quek's instinctive reaction was "fear" due to "the immense responsibility that came with the role", he says. However, intuitively, he knew it was the "right role" for him as it would allow him to "build the next exciting chapter for OrangeTee & Tie".

His appointment was unanimously endorsed by people from all levels of the organisation -- from the management to the board and ground staff. "After that, I believe anything is possible," he says.

Big dreams

Upon his return, one of the first things he did was to lay out his three mandates. First, focusing on the company's clients should be its top priority. "Our clients are our most important stakeholders, and being client-centric is most important," he says. He believes that it is a quality that comes from within a person. He adds that it cannot be acquired by "dangling carrots". He feels that some agencies' recruitment drives that lure agents from other companies with significant incentives are “a short-term approach".

At OrangeTee & Tie, "we're looking for quality people, those who feel a sense of belonging and want to join a company that they believe in and associate themselves with", Quek adds. Also, he believes in client advocacy. "If we can align our people to focus on providing quality service for our clients instead of just focusing solely on our company interests, it can be very powerful."

Beyond the clients' happiness, Quek wants to focus on strengthening the OrangeTee & Tie brand, both inside and out. "My dream, which I've shared with the company, is to have clients asking their agents to be more like the agents from OrangeTee & Tie or to join OrangeTee & Tie instead," he muses. "We want to be a magnet to draw people to us."

Even today, OrangeTee & Tie has a corporate culture focusing on its people and team bonding. "When everyone is united and aligned with the DNA of our business, our ethos and code of conduct, people will feel proud of wearing the colour," says Quek. "OrangeTee & Tie agents will be proud to be part of the company, united by the orange blood that runs through our veins. That sense of belonging, having a shared purpose and a sense of fulfilment is important in any organisation."

Pushing new digital frontiers

While Quek's mandate focuses on the softer aspects of the company culture and its people, he intends to continue focusing on technology too. Within the industry, OrangeTee & Tie is known for its pioneering tech initiatives.

In August 2018, the agency launched a one-stop app enabling its agents to post listings to multiple portals simultaneously. The app will also enable agents to access the research reports from OrangeTee & Tie and its equity partner, Edmund Tie & Co.

With the pace of advancement, technology has become scalable and easier to replicate. Quek likens real estate agencies to Masterchef kitchens. "We all have the same appliances and utensils in the kitchen," he says. "If someone installs a new state-of-the-art oven, the other agencies will find out how it works and, within a few months, would also have their state-of-the-art ovens. That's how fast tech is today."

For instance, OrangeTee & Tie recently released its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot within its in-house agency application (app). The function enables OrangeTee & Tie's agents to create their listings in various formats and multiple languages: English, Chinese, Japanese and Malay.

While Quek recognises that OrangeTee & Tie cannot always be first, the agency can respond swiftly, for instance, with a multilingual AI chatbot. "It's something the other agencies don't have yet," he says.

The function is not new, however, and was inspired by another agency which introduced its own AI tool two to three months before. "Tech is dynamic," he adds. "You may be an innovator, but your peers can copy and build on what you have and create something new. The dynamic nature of tech pushes all of us ahead. It's not about being first or second, but moving ahead, as tech will continue to play a major role in real estate."

Succession planning

As deputy CEO, the 42-year-old Quek says his primary role is to shadow Tan in overseeing and managing the company. After all, Quek is being groomed to take over the top post in the future.

"We have a good transition plan," says Quek. "Steven is a big part of the company and is now slowly handing over the business to me. These things take time. Relationships with our stakeholders need to be warmed up."

There is also a new generation of senior vice presidents in place who have been with the company for some years: for instance, Christine Sun, who heads research and analytics; Ramesh Pillai, who oversees residential projects; and Raymond Khoo, who runs the agency business.

As of June 4, OrangeTee & Tie has 3,072 agents registered with the Council for Estate Agencies. "My role is to enrol people to walk alongside me to build this new chapter of OrangeTee & Tie," he says.