Special Feature

How SRI’s Natasha Goh carved her own path in real estate

November 6, 2023 3:00 PM SGT

A seasoned realtor and mother of three, Goh has built a successful career assisting clients with purchasing, selling, and renting residential properties

Before becoming a property agent, Natasha Goh doubted her suitability for the role. “There’s often this perception that to do well in this industry, you must be very sales-oriented or aggressive in pursuing deals,” she says. “I’m not like that, so I was worried I’d struggle.”

The idea to become a realtor had first crossed her mind while she was buying her first investment property. At the time, Goh worked as a relationship manager at a bank where she often dealt with mortgage products, further seeding her interest in real estate.

A law graduate from the National University of Singapore, Goh decided to return to law to pave her path towards the property industry. “I decided to spend a few years back in legal practice, focusing on real estate to bolster my knowledge base given my lack of confidence in sales,” she recalls. After building up her expertise over several years, Goh took the leap of faith to become a property agent in 2012.

Over a decade later, it is evident that Goh has flourished in her profession. As a seasoned realtor and mother of three, she has built a successful career assisting clients with purchasing, selling, and renting both landed and non-landed residential properties. Her dedication has resulted in numerous accolades at SRI, where she is consistently recognised as a top sales achiever, even achieving over $1 million in commissions in a single year.

More importantly, Goh has found work that she loves wholeheartedly. “It’s fulfilling and something I truly enjoy doing,” she adds.

Putting clients first

Goh's real estate career has greatly benefited from her legal background. As a lawyer, she served a wide-ranging clientele, including local and foreign individuals, companies and banks. Her legal experience encompassed various property transactions, such as private housing deals, collective sales, and commercial transactions. This experience has embedded a solid foundation of industry knowledge, allowing Goh to advise clients holistically.

Secondly, it cultivated her robust negotiation skills, a vital component of her profession. “In every property transaction, there are parties that have opposing interests, whether it is a buyer and a seller or a landlord and a tenant,” she says. Finding a middle ground that satisfies the two can often be challenging, which is where Goh uses her skills to craft solutions that protect her client’s interests.

Goh stands out not only for her valuable skill sets but also for her unwavering client-first mentality. Her work revolves around prioritising her clients' interests and delivering professional, thorough service. “Ensuring strict client confidentiality is a keystone in my business model,” she adds.

Goh has built strong relationships with her clients, allowing her to work effectively and yield synergies

Solid relationships

Goh has an extensive list of clients, from homeowners to local and international property investors and expats seeking rental properties. Many of these clients are those she has worked with for years and has built strong relationships with.

These relationships, she says, lie at the crux of her longevity in the industry. “There is an established sense of trust between us,” she remarks. This, in turn, allows both parties to yield synergies by working together most effectively to achieve the client’s goals.

The mutual respect between Goh and her clients empowers her to pursue ideal outcomes for them. “The client has confidence that I’m working for their best interests, while I know that they value my input and what I bring to the table,” she says. It also helps prevent high-pressure moments from escalating into conflict.

Goh's clients share the same values, underpinning their decision to work with her repeatedly over the years. Many of Goh’s clients also referred her to their family and friends, which has resulted in her roster of clients growing organically and steadily.

Goh’s principles in her professional relationships also extend to her peers. “For example, when it comes to co-broking, I do believe there is also greater synergy when I work with a trusted agent as we already understand each other,” she observes.

Sharing her journey

With more than a decade of experience in the industry, Goh has begun to take on the role of mentoring new agents. “It’s been wonderful welcoming others to this industry and seeing them enjoy the fruits of their labour,” she says.

While mentoring was not something Goh initially pursued, she now recognises the importance of sharing her journey with individuals who may be encountering similar situations. This includes working mothers considering a shift into the real estate industry or agents who may doubt their sales skills in performing the job effectively.

“I want to dispel the notion that you have to fit a certain mould to be able to do well,” Goh says. Instead, success is achievable in different ways, she continues. “It’s possible to do this work and do well while staying true to who you are and your values.”

Additionally, she views mentoring others as a means of giving back the guidance she has received over the years from SRI, the agency she has been a part of since its inception in 2016. “Everyone at SRI, from my team leader Belinda [Cheong] to key management like Bruce [Lye], Benson [Koh] and Ken [Low], has fostered a very encouraging environment, pushing us to grow in more ways beyond just looking at sales,” she says. It is a culture she appreciates and seeks to replicate with her team moving forward.

Goh is a living example of pursuing a career you are passionate about. She emphasises that the essential factors for success are dedication, authenticity, and aligning yourself with the right individuals and clients. “Just like any job, there will be times where there are setbacks and disappointments,” she says. “But if you stay true to yourself and you choose to represent clients with whom there is mutual trust and respect, it will all be worth it."