Special Feature

Taking the right course supercharged Vincent Lim’s success

October 13, 2023 3:15 PM SGT

Vincent Lim receiving his award, presented by EdgeProp's VP of Agency Sales & Training, Shermie Tee. (Picture: Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore)

Vincent Lim, two-time winner of the 2023 EdgeProp Excellence Award for Top 6 — Landed, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, but decided to embark on a property career. “I realised my work really allowed me to help people,” Lim says. “For many clients, every cent counts. I found myself doing my very best to serve them.”

He spent his initial career working mostly with HDB sales before his close friend encouraged him to sign up for Nanyang Technological University’s postgraduate Master of Science Technopreneurship and Innovation (TIP) Programme in 2004.

“It was life-changing,” Lim recalls. “Our professor was Dr Tan Teng Kee, a successful entrepreneur who had a very unconventional way of thinking.”

Tan never shot any ideas down and he gave his students the freedom to develop their inner selves in the spirit of true entrepreneurship. He believed that restrictions and limitations hinder imagination and creation.

Tan’s oft-repeated words of wisdom were designed to inspire growth and break boundaries. “He used to say, ‘I have a dream to change the way… ’ and would let us fill in the blanks ourselves,” Lim says.

It was then that Lim first told himself, “I have a dream to change the way the world feels about real estate.”

Back then, the general perception of property agents was not always positive. Most people were leery of agents. Lim wanted to change that.

Unlocking the bravery to soar

Attending the TIP Programme helped propel Lim’s career, though he had not expected it. Lim relates: “Dr Tan said to me, ‘Vincent, I can see that you will do great things in the future.’ Getting such kind words from such a venerable and intellectual man made all the difference to my career.”
Lim had never thought of focusing on the private property sector, until Tan spurred him onto his new stage of success.

“I always thought it wouldn’t be easy to enter the private property arena, especially the landed segment; but when Dr Tan spoke to me so confidently and said he could see me doing great things, I decided to take that leap of faith,” he says.

The TIP Programme had been dynamically designed to challenge the status quo, help students break out of their mental strongholds, and find ways to adapt quickly.

“We had an eight-day simulation programme called Marketplace. Dr Tan split us up into groups to decide on how to sell computers worldwide. What we had to do was adjust our plans daily according to the latest market movements,” Lim says. “It was through this activity that I realised that the world doesn’t fit in a neat box, where everything is black and white. Instead, I learned that my plans should change with the market if I wanted to succeed.”

Reframing his property journey

Returning to agency work in 2005 after the TIP Programme was both familiar and novel. Familiar because Lim had already notched up four years of expertise, but novel because he now saw opportunities through a brand-new lens.

“When Dr Tan told me that he believed I could do great things, I was not just encouraged, but greatly so. I also saw myself as being capable of doing much more — including becoming a successful landed property agent,” Lim says.

Plunging into the private property market right after finishing the TIP Programme, Lim was cheered by his rousing success. He started with new launches, eventually becoming project in-charge for developments such as The Minton, Sky Habitat, Seaside Residences, and most recently, LIV@MB.

Lim’s dream of changing how people see the property market always keeps him going.

Entering the landed arena

Lim then moved on to landed property, where he found the clientele vastly different from other housing tiers. “In the landed segment, you meet many high-net-worth (HNW) clients. They are efficient and want to get the job done quickly and smoothly. It can also be hard to convince them in some cases,” he adds. “However, I found it easier to break the ice by discussing various other topics apart from property, including the economy and business world.”

The TIP Programme gave Lim detailed insight into how business circles worked, as well as a strong foundation for speaking with his HNW clients. “I could relate to them in their lingo, which helped a lot with negotiations and collaborations,” he says.

Having a strong belief in being able to overcome every problem has served Lim very well as a landed property agent.

“I had a client who made an offer for a landed house I was marketing,” Lim recalls. The offer was on the low side, he says, and the seller would not have agreed. He asked the client to raise the offer, but they said it was not feasible because of renovation costs.

Lim met both the client and their contractor to tease out the details of the renovation budget. They eventually made it work, and his client was able to match the owner’s price. He says: “They are still living there happily!”

Another couple shared with Lim that they had been house-hunting for seven years. He took the time to understand their exact needs. “We found their dream house in two weeks,” Lim shares. “It’s important in our line of work to gain trust. Once you win a client’s trust, it’s much easier.”

Asking the right questions

Lim also learned that asking the right questions would unveil the answers to any challenge. “Through experience, you learn which clients respond well to which questions and which respond better to others. Then you ask accordingly, and use that to build your client profile and meet their unique needs.”

Asking the right questions is also a skill Lim finds useful for inward reflection.

“The market has not always been easy to succeed in,” Lim says honestly. “There have been seasons where I’ve asked myself, ‘Do I really want to stay in this industry?’”

During those times, Lim always asked himself why he was in this line. He asked himself what his purpose was. In the end, his dream of changing how people see the property market always kept him going.

Good planning also matters. “It’s important for agents to have a healthy cash reserve for difficult times,” he advises. “Many agents would agree this year’s property market is more difficult than last year’s. The economy is shifting, and being prepared will keep an agent going. Have a careful budget for your spending, including your marketing and other expenses.”

Lim attributes these vital tips for sustaining his success to Tan, who passed on in 2015. “When we went to Seattle as part of the course, Dr Tan invited us to his home and cooked delicious salmon. He was successful but humble, and treated us all with his golden heart.”

Learning from Tan gave Lim the breakthrough to achieve a new level of success, Lim says. “‘I have a dream to change the way to do something that can impact everybody’s life.’ Dr Tan’s key words still linger within me. I will never forget them.”

For more information,

Contact Vincent Lim | 90075980

Associate Executive Director (R026632B)

ORANGETEE & TIE PTE. LTD.