MIEA Real Estate Agent of the Year 2010 and MIEA Real Estate Agency of the Year 2009
David Ong, the Founder and President of the Reapfield Group of Companies, has successfully turned the Reapfield brand into a credible household name. David started his business together with his wife Serene 26 years ago in humble beginnings, and today the group has about 711 negotiators and 13 offices.
He and his wife credit the achievement of the company to the selective hiring of people, where the emphasis is on finding the right person with the right character that will make for an outstanding real estate agent.
In 2009, Reapfield successfully closed 4,707 transactions, a record-breaking figure for the company, with RM2.16 billion in sales value.
Congratulations on your winning streak! You’ve won MIEA Real Estate Agency of the Year in 2009 and now Real Estate Agent of the Year in 2010, how does it feel?
Ecstatic, honored and humbled.
What’s your secret?
We have a customer-centric focus throughout our organization; each of our customers has unique needs, so it’s important to acknowledge that and to find a fitting solution that works. In essence, we look for the best methods to market a property. For instance, putting an ad in the newspapers may not do justice for certain types of properties; and probably a more personal approach is required such as direct mailing or an exclusive listing.
What were the challenges you faced during 2009? How well was 2009 compared to previous years?
In our type of business, we believe that it has a lot to do with the mindset and perception of our agents. As far as challenges go, we tend to look at it from an internal angle. The market is what you make of it; some may
say sales are slowing down during Hari Raya for example, but we believe that’s when we need to rev things up. The market will have its high and low cycles, but it’s how well we adapt to it that makes all the difference. We can’t control the external environment, so we focus on strengthening and equipping our people, towards building a
positive mindset.
Anything positive about the announced 10th Malaysian Plan?
The government is anticipating an increase in gross national income per capita of RM38,850 in 2015 and this will definitely be a boost to the property market. Highway or road projects worth RM15 billion will also help in creating better accessibility for certain housing developments.
What further improvements would you like to see from the Government?
We could do with more pro-business improvement schemes. Also, more education for the real estate profession, maybe through seminars or courses.
“We can’t control the external environment, so we focus on strengthening and equipping our people, towards building a positive mindset.”
