Special Feature

Result-oriented Maggie Yang grows clients’ assets with data-driven planning

September 20, 2024 3:45 PM SGT

Maggie Yang, PropNex Realty (SG) receiving the award from Cecilia Chow, EdgeProp (SG) (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

Maggie Yang, a former accountant turned real estate agent, has carved out a remarkable niche in the real estate industry by blending her deep passion with sharp analytical capabilities. As someone constantly seeking to improve herself, she made the bold career switch to a part-time agent in 2013 when she realised her career as an accountant was stagnating.

Since then, she has been harnessing her financial expertise to elevate her real estate agent practice and amass a wealth of knowledge. This financial expertise has earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor to a diverse clientele, including small- and mid-sized enterprise owners, working professionals and high-net-worth individuals, and becoming a respected mentor shaping the next generation of real estate professionals.

Yang: For me, real estate is about helping clients achieve their financial goals and improving their lives. (Photo: EdgeProp SG)

As a testament to her dedication and hard work as a real estate agent, Yang was also recently promoted to senior division director at PropNex. She was promoted after diligently climbing the corporate ladder, building a team in May 2022 and starting from an associate position to group director before becoming branch director and then group director.

Within the span of three years, she has also managed to grow from working on her own to heading a team of 25 agents, a rare, remarkable feat for agents in the industry.

Among the growing collection of accolades Yang has received over the years. (Photo: Maggie Yang)

Deepening passion

Yang found her passion for the industry from the satisfaction of having her efforts paid off. Not only was she earning a better income — allowing the single mother to provide for her daughter — but she was also able to help her clients grow their wealth.

“Real estate is not just about earning commissions or finding a roof over your clients’ heads,” she explains. “For me, it’s about helping clients achieve their financial goals and improving their lives.”

This passion led Yang to make the switch to becoming a full-time real estate consultant in February 2022. With a strong foundation in financial analysis and a deep understanding of the property market, she could offer her clients advice that was not just based on information about real estate projects but tailored to their financial needs and goals.

Yang: Real estate is not just about earning commissions or finding a roof over your clients’ heads. (Photo: Maggie Yang)

Since then, she has honed her skills and amassed over a decade of experience and knowledge. Her unique approach has made her a reliable client advisor and highly regarded mentor in the industry.

Proven track record

Yang credits her analytical skills to her background as a professional accountant. Her expertise allows her to provide tailored advice beyond traditional property investment, focusing on long-term financial freedom and asset growth.

Her excellent performance has earned her many accolades throughout her real estate journey. In 2023, she clinched the Singapore Estate Agents Association Platinum award as a recognition of her outstanding achievement in sales.

One of her most memorable transactions involved a couple in their early 40s who sought her expertise in upgrading their fully paid HDB flat. After listening to their situation, Yang advised them to invest in two private properties, each valued at $3.1 million. Today, the market value of these properties has reached $8.3 million in just a short period of three years.

Yang receives an award att the Singapore Real Estate Agents Excellence Awards this year. (Photo: Maggie Yang)

“Not only were my clients thrilled with the outcome, but I also felt immense satisfaction in helping them secure their property investments,” Yang shares, beaming with pride. Such cases reinforce her belief in data-driven property planning, she adds.

Her ability to deliver such results is due to her meticulous approach. She begins by understanding her client’s unique situation and aims, crafting a customised property plan backed by data. She will then provide advice tailored to the individual needs of her clients, whether the property is for investment or owner occupation.

Yang finds immense satisfaction in securing clients' real estate investments. (Photo: Maggie Yang)

Yang finds that clients often do not know how to plan their real estate investment and how to maximise its returns without affecting their living standards. She would approach clients in a casual manner and listen to them to understand their goals. This approach helps to build trust and open them up to new possibilities before she presents them with suitable options.

Yang’s proficiency in Chinese has also given her an edge in serving a diverse client base, of which Chinese buyers form a sizeable proportion. This linguistic advantage, combined with her expertise in asset progression, positions her as a standout agent in the competitive real estate market.

Yang's meticulous and thorough work as an agent has earned her the trust of many clients. (Photo: Maggie Yang)

A mentor committed to growth

Yang’s success is not limited to her clients. As a mentor, she is committed to guiding the next generation of real estate agents.

This commitment partly stemmed from her own experience during her early days in the industry. At that time, she struggled to learn the ropes of the industry on her own. This experience taught her the importance of having a good mentor who can guide and offer help when needed. The absence of a mentor made Yang’s journey unnecessarily challenging. It made her vow that when she led her own team, she would provide excellent mentorship so new agents could adapt more easily to the industry.

Today, Yang leads a team of 23 agents, most of whom are mid-career switchers, which speaks to her openness to teaching agents from scratch. Her mentorship approach is hands-on, offering one-to-one coaching that complements the theoretical lessons provided by her agency.

Yang is driven to mentor agents to ease their journey in the real estate industry. (Photo: Maggie Yang)

Her dedication to her team has yielded impressive results. One of her agents had previously struggled to make bank at another agency, earning barely $20,000 in commissions for almost four years. However, within only 10 months after joining Yang’s team, the agent successfully earned nearly $300,000 in commissions under her generous tutelage.

Another example is a recent graduate who works part-time under Yang’s guidance. In his first year, he achieved a $270,000 commission, a rare feat for a new agent. As a team leader, she is committed to setting aside at least one day a week for one-on-one coaching for her agents. “I believe that I should continue giving my best to my mentees, even as my team expands. In fact, I am training some of my team members to become managers so I can accommodate a growing team,” Yang shares.

Yang advises new agents to be passionate about real estate and committed to serving clients. “I believe that agents should commit to improving themselves every day by seeking knowledge and having the drive to achieve a better life through hard work,” she notes. Yang’s ability to balance her dual roles as an excellent mother and a dedicated real estate agent shows that it is possible to thrive in both areas.

By combining her sharp analytical skills with a sincere approach, Yang has built a career that supports her family and empowers others to achieve their goals.