Special Feature

Sharol Pek brings the art of omotenashi to property sales

April 28, 2023 2:30 PM SGT

This award-winning realtor breaks the stereotype of realtors by keeping her clients’ interests top of mind to deliver short- and long-term value

The relationship between a realtor and the client is generally perceived as transactional, wherein the property agent’s priority is closing a deal. However, Sharol Pek thinks otherwise — she sees her role as a problem-solving partner who acts in the client’s best interest.

Omotenashi — the Japanese hospitality concept of delivering service wholeheartedly — is key in shaping the way Pek delivers her service. Exposed to it when she was working as a wedding planner in a Japanese firm for seven years before joining ERA Realty Network, she believes the concept is also applicable to the real estate industry.

“The Japanese values of delivering services with sincerity and being attentive to detail that was practised in my previous job enabled me to sharpen my customer service skills, such as listening carefully to clients to understand their needs, delivering personalised services and being meticulous. Wedding planners also need to be quick-witted and calm under pressure, as things may change at the very last minute. These skills are highly relevant to property agents too, where a client’s needs should be top of mind instead of sales,” she asserts.

That client-first mindset has helped her transition naturally into the real estate space. However, she concedes that it was challenging to practise the concept when she first became a realtor.

“Building rapport with clients was difficult at the beginning as they tend to think of property sales as transactional. I also had to adjust the way I think — as a wedding planner, I had to manage all the parties involved, but as a realtor, I needed to prioritise helping who I represent instead of focusing on both sides of the equation (that is, buyers and sellers) to get a good compromise,” she says.

Providing the personal touch

In line with the omotenashi concept, Pek believes providing the personal touch is her key differentiator. She says: “Information is widely available and easily obtainable today so it is not enough to just be knowledgeable. Every client’s situation is different — instead of pushing to close a transaction, it is more important to understand their needs and objectives to provide tailored advice. Clients will only trust you when you show that you genuinely care and want to help them.”

Besides that, Pek makes an effort to build long-term relationships with her clients through after-sales services such as identifying new opportunities and advising them when to reshuffle their asset portfolio or exit. She does so by analysing the necessary data and providing those insights to empower clients to make informed decisions — all while keeping in mind the client’s goals.

Taking this approach has led her clients to trust that she always has their best interests at heart. As such, it is not surprising that her clients (who are still mostly from cold leads) see her as someone close after engaging in her service. In fact, she shares that one of her long-standing clients regularly invites her to their family events and refers their children to her when they want to buy or rent a property.

Efforts bearing fruits

Thanks to her grit and dedication to delivering the best outcomes for her clients, Pek has won numerous awards under her belt — consistently winning multiple awards every year since 2020, with the ERA Top 50 Achievers of the Year 2022 as the most recent accolade. This is a feat as she only entered the industry four years ago.

Not wanting to take the conventional route, Pek “started from ground zero” where she relied on cold leads and expanded her network organically. “Although this meant a steeper learning curve, it helped me gain the necessary skills and knowledge to be more confident and consultative in my approach,” she claims.

One of her memorable career milestones was when she was named a Top 3 Project Achiever for several new launches, namely Parc Esta, Nyon, Meyer Mansion, Amber Park, and Liv@MB. Being named one of the top three performers for almost all the major launches in the East Coast was a sweet victory for her as she started her realtor career distributing flyers along the streets of Katong. The achievement is, therefore, a recognition of her deep knowledge of the area, hard work and tenacity.

It is also a meaningful accomplishment as she grew up there. “Having witnessed the East’s transformation over the decade first-hand, I have come to recognise the immense potential that lies within this area. It’s this “insider” knowledge that empowers me to confidently make genuine and informed recommendations to my clients. Seeing my clients enjoy their stay while taking advantage of the area’s great assets brings me happiness and satisfaction.”

While many of Pek’s clients are well-heeled professionals in District 15 and the wider East Coast area, she is constantly scouting for new opportunities to help them grow their assets. With the closing price gaps between District 15 and the core central region (CCR), she has extended her reach to transact more properties in Districts 9, 10 and 11 — providing her clients with a wider range of choices and opportunities.

Besides servicing her current network of clients, Pek has recently expanded her services to Japanese clients through a collaboration with a Japanese partner. She shares that the move also encourages her to improve her service offerings and standards by constantly streamlining her processes; creating a more seamless and comfortable client experience.

The importance of a strong support system

Since being a realtor is a demanding and challenging job, having a support system is crucial to keep one going, especially during tough times. To Pek, her family and close friends were her strong pillars of support.

She says: “Since I was young, my family has been encouraging and supportive even when I make unconventional choices — it is comforting to know my family will always have my back and cheer me on.”

She adds that being part of the Swift Group (a division under ERA Realty) helped accelerate her career. “I am thankful to my team leaders, especially Ryan Lee, Tracy Teo and Eric Goh. They genuinely look out for everyone in the team, such as frequently checking in to ensure we are all right or if we are faced with any challenges that they could advise on. They also offer an open and inclusive environment, enabling us to explore our desired growth paths, while offering the right support to help us further hone our skills so that we can bring more value to the table and serve clients better.”

Recognising the importance of having supportive mentors, Pek plans to pay it forward by sharing her knowledge, skills and experience to help aspiring agents find success in this line of work too.