nustabet gaming IN FOCUS: Love them or hate them, Singapore's property agents are on the rise - but for how long?

SINGAPORE: It was 2019 and Singapore undergraduate Christian Oh was looking for part-time work to help his familynustabet gaming, which was in financial trouble then. "Property agent" was suggested to him.

“I am not someone who is very good at talking but my friend said, ‘why don't you just give it one try?’”

By the end of 2020, Mr Oh was earning five-figure sales commissions and ranked among the top 100 at his property agency. He turned full-time after graduating in 2021. That year, he was named “millionaire” - a title given to realtors who earn S$1 million (US$764,000) in commission a year.

Joining the real estate industry after graduation also meant breaking a scholarship bond – a painful decision not just because of a six-figure penalty, but also because Mr Oh was giving up his ambition to become a teacher.

But the 28-year-old – now director of investments at JNA Real Estate, a division under Propnex Realty – has no regrets.

“I believe in how real estate investments can be a tool for financial and retirement planning,” he told CNA earlier in October. “I have done it for myself and my parents, and I know I can replicate it for others.”

Mr Swan Htet Oo was also in university when he realised he wanted a career in real estate instead.

The civil engineering student was “amazed” by a virtual viewing of a condominium showflat, which a property agent had customised to his family's needs.

Also impressed by what he saw as the industry's adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Swan signed up for a real estate salesperson course in 2020, while juggling his undergraduate studies. 

It took four tries before he passed the notoriously difficult examination, the 28-year-old recalled with a chuckle.

His experience on the job since has been more smooth sailing. Two years in and Mr Swan is already one of Huttons Asia’s top agentsnustabet gaming, having been named a “rising millionaire” for earning at least S$500,000 in  commission a year.

(From left to right) Christian Oh, Swan Htet Oo and Aaron Koh are among those who have joined the property industry as real estate agents in recent years. (Photos: CNA/Tang See Kit, Swan Htet Oo, Aaron Koh)

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