According to Jonathan, having a supportive and knowledgeable mentor is key for property agents to achieve their fullest potential
Jonathan Fong has been in the real estate business for 18 years. He has seen the market through it all – boom periods, a major recession, and more recently, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Whatever the phase of the property cycle, Jonathan has weathered the ups and downs with a dogged determination that has propelled a successful career for nearly two decades.
Talking to him, it is easy to see glimpses of his tenacity. He speaks about the market knowledgeably, pulling from his vast experience transacting properties across various segments. He has also memorised key details about every single client he has worked with. “I make it a point to remember everything – what price they bought or sold their property at, their telephone number, their birthday, it’s all in here,” he says, tapping a finger to his temple.
It is a skill that was ingrained by his first mentor, Jerry Tan, the founder of boutique luxury property consultancy JTResi. Jonathan, who worked with Jerry at the start of his career, says that training under him was an invaluable experience. “He taught me the skills I needed to know to survive in this industry – I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t found the right mentor,” he says.
It is something Jonathan has kept in mind over the years as he himself became a mentor to others. Today, he leads the Jonathan Fong Division (JFD), a fast-growing team of nearly 60 at PropNex Realty. Jonathan himself is now coached by Jason Tan, founder of Jason Tan Advisory and advisory associate branch district director at PropNex.
As a seasoned realtor and team leader, Jonathan knows first-hand the challenges that face new agents when they join the industry. “It’s a competitive market and you need to build the right capabilities to be able to make it,” he shares.
Jonathan says agents often make major mistakes that prevent them from thriving. These include not leveraging all prospecting channels they have. “A lot of agents don’t realise there are so many prospecting methods they’re not taking advantage of,” he says.
One such method is simply to stay in touch with former clients, which surprisingly, is not something all agents do. “A lot of agents think once they’ve closed a sale, they don’t need to interact much with the client anymore,” Jonathan says. By doing this, they close the door on an invaluable pool of potential referrals and repeat business. “Reconnecting and maintaining relationships is crucial. If you can make your customers your friends, you’re well on your way to a successful career,” he declares.
Another problem that often plagues new agents is a lack of direction or uncertainty in advising clients, which results in agents being unable to close sales consistently. It is a problem that affects experienced agents too. “Even experienced agents can get stuck, unable to achieve that breakthrough in sales they need to get to the next level,” Jonathan says.
As someone who has navigated these pitfalls successfully, Jonathan strives to help his members avoid these mistakes and set them up for success. To do this, he focuses on training and sharpening every single skill they need to thrive in the business. “I teach them the full spectrum of what they need to know, from prospecting all the way to negotiating and closing deals and doing the paperwork,” he says.
JFD offers a comprehensive learning environment and support system, with regular training workshops, mentoring sessions and constant knowledge-sharing. Agents are also provided with “Empowerment Kits” – detailed presentation decks on various market segments that equip them with relevant facts and figures, market insights, and value-adding solutions for clients.
This method of mentoring has enabled Jonathan’s team members to garner astonishing success. “Most of our new agents have earned annual commissions of up to $180,000 in their first year,” he shares.
One of the secrets to this success, he says, is the fact that his team is driven by experienced and knowledgeable agents. At JFD, all the leaders under Jonathan are industry long-timers who have built expertise in specific segments, be it high-end residential, new project launches, commercial or industrial properties.
In addition, Jonathan says a strong culture of knowledge-sharing is embedded within the group. “Our members seek help from each other, and this is powerful because everyone has access to a full range of knowledge across all markets,” he explains.
When Jonathan speaks about his team, it is obvious that he is proud of his team members and what they have accomplished. One member had worked as a Grab driver before joining the team, where he started racking up a five-figure monthly income. Another member has consistently improved her commissions by at least 20% annually.
It is clear that Jonathan thrives on seeing his members succeed. This is perhaps why those within his team have stuck by him for many years. “I’ve worked with one of my leaders, Ros Salleh, for about 13 years,” he reflects. “It’s amazing to see what she’s achieved.”
Jonathan believes he and Ros Salleh, along with his other leaders Jimmy Poh and Minnie Teo, have great synergy owing to their shared values. “We have the same mindset, and we truly believe in helping each other achieve our best potential,” he says.
This philosophy also anchored his decision to join PropNex – Jonathan and his team crossed over to the agency last August. “I had spoken to Jason [Tan] beforehand, to learn more about PropNex, and what impressed me most was when he shared about the company's culture, and the direction and support provided by them,” he says.
Jonathan continues that the structure and resources made available to all PropNex agents – such as targeted training programmes, presentation decks, and PropNex’s signature apps Sales Suite and Investment Suite – provide a sense of uniformity throughout the organisation. “We see that the company is very receptive to feedback and that they want to help agents,” he adds.
Ultimately, Jonathan reiterates that finding a supportive and knowledgeable mentor is key. “There are a lot of so-called mentors out there who are good at branding themselves on social media, but aren’t able to back that up with actual knowledge or training,” he cautions.
Jonathan advises agents to research a potential mentor carefully. “Learn their track record, see who they’ve trained, and observe how their members have performed,” he recommends. Another good sign is when a team has longstanding members who have continuously flourished over the years, rather than having a high turnover with constantly changing faces. “If a team has a lot of members who have been there for over 10 years, you know the leader is doing something right,” Jonathan concludes.
For more information,
Contact Jonathan Fong | 92768022
Senior Associate Group District Director (R000768H)
PropNex Realty Pte. Ltd.