Special Feature

‘Landing’ his dream against the odds

May 20, 2021 6:00 AM SGT

“You will not make it as a landed property agent,” Willi Ching recalls being told some six years ago by a group of senior colleagues. This statement came just as Ching got the idea to become a property agent focusing on the niche segment of landed properties.

These comments were made despite Ching’s colourful palette of experience in the first five years of his real estate career. During the period, he achieved consistent performance in closing deals ranging from lease and resale in HDB, condo, commercial and industrial, to new launches and even overseas projects. According to Ching, the “advice” came to him as he never lived in a landed property, nor came from a privileged background with contacts in the landed market, luxury car and country club segments. Apparently, all these were perceived to be essential requisites for establishing a network and to be successful within the exclusive landed property market.

Fortunately for Ching, he did not heed the words of his colleagues but went ahead to focus on landed properties.

Fast forward to today, and things are better than they could ever be. Not only has he proven his colleagues wrong, he has now become one of the most consistent landed transactors in the market. Ching has also formed and groomed a team of landed consultants who have collectively transacted over 150 landed deals. The team he founded, MTD Landed Division, was so highly recognised by Huttons Asia, that he was asked to rebrand it to Huttons Landed Division one year ago.

Maverick who took big risks

“Nothing is impossible, if we dream of it, fight for it,” says Ching, as he recounts this mantra in his life which has made him a maverick. Coming from humble beginnings, Ching looks up to his parents, who are taxi drivers, as his inspiration. He admired how his parents had worked against all odds to raise their three sons, so the quality of hard work has been deeply embedded in his values.

However, coming from a traditional family background, Ching’s parents pushed him to be a straight-A student and to have a stable career path, so that he could be a good example to his two younger brothers and cousins.

But Ching made several major decisions in his life that “disappointed” his parents, he recalls.

For instance, after getting glowing results from his O-levels, the Catholic High student chose to pursue a diploma in a polytechnic, instead of applying to Singapore’s top junior colleges. But, with a promise to his mother to work hard and qualify for a local university, Ching made it to Nanyang Technological University and graduated with honours.

After that, Ching joined beauty giant L’Oreal Singapore and made his way to the top, and was being groomed to become one of the company’s most promising future leaders. Ching’s parents were proud of his achievements, but he once again rocked the boat by leaving his job as the national sales manager to join the real estate industry.

“I loved my job and the company, but somehow I felt that being an employee for life was not my destiny,” recalls Ching, a self-professed long-term vision believer. “I wanted a career where my hard work can deliver the maximised returns, in both rewards and satisfaction. The irony then was I knew nothing about real estate, but I was resolute that my passion in people and property would help me overcome all challenges.”

Believe. Dive. Fly.

At the start, jumping onto the landed property scene was tough for Ching. There were many big questions that he had to tackle. “There were so many risks and opportunity costs. How do I say ‘no’ to the other non-landed deals, especially those offered by my past supportive clients? What if I don’t make it, and lose all I have built in the last five years? Am I qualified enough to build a ‘dream team’?” he recalls.

Just like how he had to take a leap of faith skipping junior college and leaving the corporate life, Ching had to remind himself to push away the doubts and fears, and let his strong beliefs take control.

“I believe that landed properties provide owners the best assurance of price appreciation in the long run, due to a simple principle of demand versus [limited] supply. I believe that having a focus is the best way for me to gain experience in this field. I believe that with dedication, I can reach out to both clients and fellow teammates,” he says.

Despite having an ambitious dream, Ching took a grounded approach before deciding to “take the dive”. The landed market may be sought after by realtors, but the barriers to entry are high, not to mention the pressure to achieve consistent results.

It took Ching two years and 10 landed property closings before he garnered the confidence to pitch the idea of setting up MTD Landed Division to his mentor Mary Tan, head of MTD. “Just do it. Go and fly, because I believe you can,” she told him more than six years ago.

Ching and his teammates of Huttons Landed Division (Photo: Huttons Landed Division)

Always ahead. For clients’ sake.

Since then, Ching and his teammates at Huttons Landed Division have made their presence felt in the landed property market. For instance, they were the first to start a Facebook page and a YouTube video channel dedicated to landed properties. With new content almost every week, and almost 2,000 followers, both the media platforms are now among the most followed property groups on social media.

The Huttons Landed Division’s website, too, is impressive. Sensing a gap in the house-hunting process – where buyers are often not privy to many critical details in the listing – the team created from scratch an online database of more than 2,000 house listings that give buyers all the information they need, such as address, pictures of the façade and interesting features in the home, such as a granny’s room or private lift.

“We understand that house-hunting can be a daunting process for buyers, so we provide as much relevant information to our clients as we can,” says Ching, whose team provides up- dated market trends and other analyses which are sought after by sellers too.

Staying ahead in the ever-evolving market, Huttons Landed Division invests in new technology and marketing techniques. It has amassed one of the largest databases of 3D virtual tours of landed houses on sale, making it easier for buyers to shortlist their houses before viewings are arranged. This also minimises unnecessary hassle for sellers during unqualified viewings. “Sellers and buyers are our key stakeholders, so their satisfaction has and will always be our priority,” adds Ching.

“I advocate strong partnerships with our clients because when there is trust, we can achieve a lot more together,” he says. “Very often, this goes beyond achieving a target price, but embarking on a pleasant and enjoy- able house transition journey together.” Ching also shares that he and the team members end up becoming friends with clients, bonding over common interests.

The right people fuel the passion

An important group of stakeholders for Huttons Landed Division is the team of 30 consultants. They have had to go through intensive training before they are equipped with both knowledge and confidence to provide value to their clients. An integral criterion is the ability of each consultant to work selflessly as a team member, with trust and integrity, attesting to the three mottos of the organisation – Trust, Integrity and Teamwork.

“Despite what is widely perceived as lucrative, transacting a landed property requires a lot of hard work. If agents join us thinking it is ‘easy money’, they’ll be in for a rude shock,” Ching asserts as he recounts the past recruitment hits and misses.

“However, when we have the right people, we create magic. A cosy yet productive environment where we learn, hustle and achieve together. The relentless pursuit of this magic keeps my adrenalin pumping every single day,” professes this leader, who tirelessly leads by example and is often more excited with his teammates’ closings than his own.

Ching has been affectionately named the “Landed Prince” by many, but his humility makes him dismiss the term repeatedly. “I still have lots to learn. There are still many clients to engage and many teammates to groom,” he says.

“I am blessed to love what I am doing. That helps to influence my teammates and clients to enjoy the process. Which in turn fuels my passion to do even more. It’s a virtuous spiral that I really don’t want to end!” exclaims Ching.

Notable success stories

Although Willi Ching and his team have sold many houses, he stresses that every house comes with its set of challenges. Here are some of their memorable closings:

Katong (District 15):

Two-storey bungalow – 9,670 sq ft – $12.88 million

The owner had strong beliefs that contradicted the team’s successful formulae, like exclusive appointment and optimal markeing strategies. It took four different members to convince him that their partnership would work, even if it involved many marketing activities, which the owner was initially very uncomfortable with. Eventually, not only did they manage to sell the house at a record price, a precious friendship between Ching and the previous homeowner blossomed.

Braddell Heights (District 13):

One-storey bungalow – 9,590 sq ft – $10.08 million

The owner, a seasoned property transactor, was initially represented by many accomplished agents in the market. But he was convinced by the team’s Charming House video series, and approached Ching’s team for a pitch. They had never produced a video of an original-condition house before, but took up the challenge to produce not one, but two, videos for this house. It was sold within a month after the videos were published.

Bukit Timah (District 10):

Two-and-a-half-storey semi-detached house – 3,230 sq ft – $8.08 million

The Covid-19 pandemic hit the industry badly, as viewings were banned during the circuit breaker period. “It was the single most insecure period I have ever felt in my real estate career, with uncertainties plaguing both the real estate market and the economy,” recalls Ching. This deal, one of the many partnerships he has with landed developers, was memorable because this was the first house sold within two weeks after the lockdown was lifted, and provided the catalyst for the team’s closing streak and record-setting results for the rest of 2020.

Upcoming highlights

Although the team has about 300 landed listings on hand, a select few stand out:

Ewart Park (District 10):

Four-storey Good Class Bungalow – 33,550/16,328 sq ft – $70 million

More Good Class Bungalow (GCB) buyers and sellers have engaged the Huttons Landed Division team over the years. One of them is this majestic masterpiece with sprawling grounds and a unique four-storey architecture. “The GCB market is more ‘secretive’ in that many houses are not marketed openly, so sellers are entrusting us with our network of buyers, and buyers relish in our exclusive database of houses that are not available in popular online portals,” says Ching.

Thomson Road (District 20):

Two-and-a-half-storey semi-detached house – 6,600/9,000 sq ft – $9.5 million

This is the one of the most impressive semi-detached houses Ching has marketed – larger (in both land and build-up area) than even some detached houses, boasts luxury villa vibes and privacy, yet is within strolling distance to nearby amenities, and is in immaculate move-in condition. This property is great value for money, especially for buyers who are looking for similar but much pricier houses in Bukit Timah (just a five to 10 minutes’ drive away).

Braddell Heights (District 13):

Two-storey bungalow – 11,190/7,500 sq ft – $10.8 million

“I have a soft spot for houses with an old-school charm, which this well-preserved, 50-year-old, eight-room bungalow possesses. It is well-built, with lots of history, has an elevated view and an intriguing ‘secret basement’,” says Ching. This property has attracted a lot of interest from GCB owners who are looking for a smaller bungalow but with a “GCB feel”. “I am excited with the new possibilities of this rare gem brings, and look forward to the new owner restoring the house to its former glory,” he adds.

Find out more landed property listings here:

Jalan Singa Semi-Detached House

Pair of New Semi-Ds with Lift & Pool at Hillcrest

Brand New 3.5 Sty 5 Bedrm Terrace with Lift at Siglap

Serangoon Gardens Semi-Detached House