Special Feature

Trust is key to success for Eugene Wong’s team

By Eugene Wong

/ ERA Realty Network |

September 9, 2022 11:12 AM SGT

Before joining the property industry a decade ago, ERA division director Eugene Wong spent four years working as an assistant to a senior vice-president in a casino. His role allowed him to evaluate profiles of individual high-rollers, their playing history, and behaviour traits, to tailor the casino’s services to their unique preferences so they would continue wagering on the tables.

As it turned out, Eugene found this area very interesting and continues to practice it in his current work while also pursuing courses to further his knowledge in the field.

Honing this skill professionally has paid dividends for Eugene. After all, being a property agent requires one to read and respond to the clients’ every nuance.

Analysing behaviour helped close Wong’s first sale

Wong’s first-ever deal is a testament to this. “I was a very new agent at that time,” he says. “This was my first exclusive sale listing — a maisonette at Clementi.”

Wong remembered the unit faced a Buddhist monastery, with a large statue of Buddha and the goddess of mercy, Kuan Yin, in full view from the master bedroom window.

During the open house, a couple came with their mother and toddler. Wong recounts that at the master bedroom window, the grandmother asked the little boy to put his palms together and pray to the goddess of mercy. “Knowing that this was a family with deep Buddhist faith, when I spoke to the couple, I highlighted that staying there would mean that their family could wake up to the sight of the goddess of mercy every morning,” he says.

What he said resonated well with the family, and a deal was inked. Wong’s transaction became a record high for Clementi at that time, and it emphasised the importance of observing every little detail as an agent.

Wong believes in understanding each team member’s needs before tailoring the support they need (Photo: Eugene Wong/ERA)

Taking time to understand each team member’s needs

“Being sensitive to individuals’ behaviour has helped me a lot in this industry, not only with clients, but with my team as well,” Wong says.

Wong believes in understanding each team member’s needs before tailoring the support they need. For example, a new agent needs moral support and encouragement to push through the thorny first few years. A seasoned agent joining his team is looking for something completely different.

“We offer training programmes and a wide array of platforms and opportunities for newer agents to grow and to find their own depth,” Wong says. “Established agents can already hit the ground running. What we give them is the encouragement and strong support — to be behind them.”

In all, Wong endeavours to make every team member feel at home, and the feeling is assuredly mutual. “I am thankful for the support my team has given me over the years,” Wong says. “Their support has kept me going strong.”

Eugene Wong receiving an award from ERA Singapore deputy CEO Doris Ong (Photo: Eugene Wong/ERA)

An A-list of accolades

Wong has been a consistent achiever overall for the last seven years, with outstanding sales performance and records, both as an individual agent and for his team.

In 2018, he was awarded ERA’s No. 1 Tagger for the year. “I got my breakthrough as the company overall top tagger [someone who helps fellow agents do presentations and assist them in closing the deal] in 2018,” Wong says. “To be a good tagger, one should not just be knowledgeable about the particular product, but to have good real estate knowledge too.”

Wong says strong interpersonal skills are also important, as is the ability to anticipate and answer the concerns of the client, and capture buying signals. This is especially important given that a tagger works hand in hand with the agent, who first nurtures the client relationship before passing the baton on, allowing the tagger to grow the relationship — and eventually help to close the sale.

Shortly after, Wong was promoted to a Project In-Charge (IC), and in 2019, he was awarded ERA’s No.1 Top Project IC.

In 2020, Wong received the SEAA Platinum Award [an industry-wide award assessed by professionals]. In the same year, Wong was promoted to Division Director and was awarded ERA’s Top Division Director Award in June 2022. Most recently, Wong has achieved the much-coveted Red Diamond Award for his personal sales achievement.

Wong (centre) was awarded ERA’s Top Division Director Award in June 2022 (Photo: Eugene Wong/ERA)

Teammates who energise one another

As a leader who is deeply invested in the well-being of his team, Wong emphasises knowledge as a solid foundation for being an all-rounded property agent. Knowledge is an asset, Wong often reminds his team.

Wong says: “My leadership style is not to take a top-down approach, but I treat my teammates as equals and colleagues.” He adds: “I mentor each one of my team’s agents differently. Each of them is strong at something unique. Some are great with clients, others at getting leads, and others at back-end research work... the agents who succeed and do well are those who leverage the strengths they possess.”

Wong emphasises knowledge as a solid foundation for being an all-rounded property agent for his team (Photo: Eugene Wong/ERA)

Importance of diligence

Looking back, the start of his property agent career required grit and passion. “As someone without many wealthy connections — no candies from a candy jar, so to speak — I had to start from ground zero,” he says.

Wong solidified his working knowledge to guide clients and answer their questions, sharpened his presentation skills, and ploughed his way through the tough times in his career.

As an agent, Wong shares that while a real estate career can be very rewarding, there are sacrifices to be made. “Closing deals is always very satisfying, but most agents will understand the sacrifice that we must undertake. There are times we have to cancel personal plans for very last-minute viewings,” Wong says.

Wong has many intriguing anecdotes. One particularly memorable deal he closed was a sale inked at two in the morning. “I had a listing for a landed property,” Wong recounts. “I was about to go to bed when a prospect calls to request a viewing at 2am. I thought it would be better to view it the next day when it is brighter and more convenient. But they insisted to look at it right away.”

The buyers were in the F&B industry and could only do viewings in the wee hours after shutting their business for the day. Despite staying some distance away from the property, Wong travelled to Yio Chu Kang to open the vacant house for the couple without any expectations.

“They came with their pet dog and let it run around the house... they were excited and pleased, then confirmed, ‘Yes, we would very much like to match the asking for this house,’’ he recalls.

Wong: As someone without many wealthy connections — no candies from a candy jar, so to speak — I had to start from ground zero

Quality matters, as does quantity

Wong has always prioritised transaction numbers, not just target commissions. “I like to measure effort and look at the number of transactions closed, versus total commission earned,” he says.

This is tied to his philosophy of working hard — but smart. “If you set a target of, say, 20 deals, look at the total commission earned,” Wong explains. “After that, reflect: Is there a way you could use your time more effectively to make more money from the next 20 deals?”

This is different from setting a fixed commission figure. “Sometimes, an agent may hit their yearly target with just one deal, then stop. But that doesn’t help them to grow and reflect on how they can streamline their workflow and improve their processes,” he says.

Trust and open communication a proven success recipe

Wong’s team is a very close-knit bunch, and hardly a day goes by without them catching up in person, going for a sweat session, or just gathering to exchange ideas and experiences.

“There’s a lot of trust and open communication in the team,” Wong says. “We’re very vested in growing together, and this includes strengthening our fundamentals so that each of us is strong in our knowledge.”

“We work very closely,”Wong shares. “We’re like a family.”

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