CEO Insights Magazine

An oil-rich company with vast oil reserves, Brunei has one of the world’s highest energy reserves per capita. The growing urbanization combined with increased cooperation between major banks and real estate organizations as well as various government initiatives to bolster its infrastructure have been helping the real estate sector in the country experience steady growth over the years. Among the leading real estate companies in the country, one firm that stands out from the rest in terms of quality service and client base is Amanda Yang- led Homecity Property & Management. A passionate real estate agent, Amanda started her career in the banking sector before finding her calling in the real estate sector. Starting in 2013, under her visionary leadership, Homecity has experienced exceptional growth over the years and today is considered one of the leading real estate firms in Brunei.

In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights ASIA, Amanda sheds light on her overall professional journey, her leadership approach, and much more

Could you give a brief account of your professional background and experiences? What is the motivation that fuels your daily routines?

Before joining the real estate sector, I have worked in the banking sector for around five years. During that phase, my responsibilities involved dealing with clients, taking care of marketing, and all the sales-related activities. I also have completed a lot of training, such as cold calling, lead generating, and understanding customer needs. There was a time when I used to handle customer mortgage loans. That's when I realized my passion for being a part of the real estate industry. Later, I moved to the real estate industry in 2009 and went through various training programs and experiences before starting my company Homecity Property & Management in 2013.

I am a property investor myself and to some extent, share the same experience of that of my clients in terms of finding the right home. I also enjoy developing and implementing incentive programs that generate healthy sales competition. Being a result-oriented person constantly in solution mode, I try my best to outperform customer expectations by helping them find a new home while resolving various business hurdles for them. As a passionate real estate agent, I try to put myself in their shoes and give them and hassle-free experience, which is something that fuels my daily routine.

How would you define Homecity Property & Management as an organization and its current position in the market?

Starting its journey in 2013 with a single staff, Homecity Property & Management, in the last decade, has come a long way and today is

considered a leading real estate firm in Brunei with an employee strength of 15 while experiencing consistent growth and expansion. Our mission and vision is to become a prominent real estate company renowned for its professionalism and exceptional customer services in marketing, listing, renting, and selling throughout Brunei. Recently, we have been awarded the prestigious Asia Pacific Property Award, which is a testament to our exceptional service quality and skillset. Winning one of the most prestigious and respected industry awards in the Asia Pacific region has boosted our confidence as well as client base while expanding our focus in the international market.

Tell us about your leadership approach. What are the guidelines or methodologies you follow as a leader?

Being a positive person, I believe in having a successful mindset and setting up a specific goal or target in mind, which helps us visualize success and then create a strategy to get there. As a part of the real estate industry, we try our best to ensure customer satisfaction by staying ahead of the industry trends and resources. I expect my team to be creative and proactive in what we do, which helps us achieve our goals. I always tell my team to constantly work on self-improvement. Instead of just sitting there and expecting business to come to us, we have to go out there and make it happen.

Apart from that, we also have to be open to opportunities. Continuous learning is the key to self-improvement. Learning from past mistakes and inefficiencies is very important. As leaders, we should be open to continuous learning. Later, the team will follow in our footsteps. As a real estate agent, there is no bigger satisfaction than closing a deal. It's the happy face of our clients or investors when they finally own their dream home or make a good deal in the real estate market that drives me to strive harder.

What has been your success mantra that constantly helps you arrive at constitute comes?

As a passionate real estate agent, my love for the job and the industry is something that drives me daily. Even while interviewing people, the first thing that I always try to ensure is whether they love their job or not. I believe in prioritizing my tasks and working on them based on the priority order. I prefer to take small breaks every once in a while, exercise regularly, and surround myself with positive people and friends-something that helps me have a positive attitude and mindset. Regardless of the challenges, I always treat them positively while eliminating the distractions to stay focused. I also take small breaks once in a while and exercise regularly.

How do keep yourself up to date with the ongoing industry trends? What is the future destination you are headed towards?

Being updated about the latest news, media, or trends on social media helps me stay abreast of the latest trends in the market. I also maintain a broad network of professionals from the same industry, both nationally and internationally. We also attend various real estate industry summits and do presentations on stage regarding the current real estate market trends in Brunei. Coming to the international network, I have contacts in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Phillippines, where we constantly collaborate on their projects in Brunei and vice versa.

As part of the future roadmap, I want to expand my team to grow internationally. As real estate agents, we are the front liners of all real estate transactions, excellent decisions, and profitable deals, and are required to be both skillful and knowledgeable to handle those tasks responsibly. I want to groom more successful agents in Brunei in the real estate industry, where we can form a strong team to handle business abroad.

Amanda Yang, Founder, Homecity Property & Management

An accomplished real estate consultant and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the real estate sector, Amanda started her career in the banking industry before founding her calling in the real estate sector. She established Homecity Property & Management, a Kuala Belait-based leading real estate firm, in 2013, and under her inspiring leadership, the firm is currently considered one of the leading real estate firms in Brunei.

•Hobbies: Travelling, Meditation, Yoga

•Favorite Book: Motivational books, especially written by Tony Robbins

•Favorite Travel Destination: Thailand

•Awards & Recognition:

Won the Asia Pacific Property Award 2021-2022 in Best Real Estate Agency Single Office, Brunei

Won the Asia Pacific Property Award 2021-2022 in Real Estate Agency Marketing, Brunei