Special Feature

How Sales+ Financial Whiz creator Jackson Woo is coaching the next generation of agents

July 28, 2023 3:00 PM SGT

Jackson Woo has carved out a name for himself as the creator of Financial Whiz and the ambassador for ERA Super App Sales+

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Jackson Woo has reached a new milestone in his career. The ERA District Division Director has been a realtor for almost a decade, carving out a solid track record within the residential segment.

Through his hard work, he has garnered a number of career achievements, with the latest being TOP 300 Achiever for Year 2022 during ERA APBC Annual Awards. He has also received a couple of ERA Diamond Achiever Awards (given to agents who earn a six-figure monthly commission), as well as the ERA Top Project Achiever award for Rivière, the 455-unit luxury condo along Jiak Kim Street.

In the last year, he has also played a larger role in ERA, being invited to become an ambassador for Sales+, the property agency’s proprietary mobile application. In particular, he has been at the forefront of Sales+ Financial Whiz, the super app’s all-in-one financial tool that automates a lot of the necessary work that salespersons do before sealing a deal, including mapping out calculations and planning timelines.

Despite his illustrious career, he shows no signs of slowing down. Instead, now is the time to turn his efforts to another longstanding ambition: to build his team. “I’ve had the opportunity to do sales, be the creator of Sales+ Financial Whiz, and run company training workshops teaching fellow salespersons on the usage of the tools,” he says. “It feels like a natural progression to now focus on helping more salespersons reach their fullest potential and achieve their goals.”

Woo (second from right) being awarded the Top Project Achiever award for Rivière by (from left) Eugene Lim, Key Executive Officer at ERA Singapore; Ginn Lee, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Frasers Property; and Doris Ong, Deputy CEO of ERA Singapore

Innovator of Sales+ Financial Whiz

Woo has all the credentials an agent would want in a mentor. Besides his substantial experience in the industry, it is clear that he has a down-to-earth, pragmatic approach that sets him apart from his peers.

In fact, that approach was one of the reasons he first came up with the idea of creating his own financial calculator. As an agent, he knows firsthand how a lot of the sales and purchase process remains surprisingly manual, with many agents resorting to pen, paper and a calculator to work out things like payments and timelines for prospective clients.

While Woo himself used to do the same, he started thinking of ways things could be done more efficiently. “In all honesty, I was motivated to figure out a way to automate calculations and write out timelines because I had such bad handwriting,” he says, chuckling.

He built an excel spreadsheet that automated calculations on payments for new project launches. As time went on, he started integrating more features, allowing the spreadsheet to be tweaked for specific scenarios and assumptions. Eventually, he took a leap of faith and invested his own time and money to create an app which he dubbed Project Whiz.

The app received great response, so much so that ERA’s top brass took notice. The agency, which was in the midst of formulating the Sales+ app, invited Woo to incorporate his creation – which was renamed Sales+ Financial Whiz – into the agency’s app. “The timing worked out perfectly,” he says, adding that he oversaw the entire process as a consultant for ERA.

He shares that the support from management, especially APAC Realty and ERA Asia Pacific CEO Marcus Chu, as well as ERA Singapore CTO Raymond Leong, along with help from the IT department, allowed him to improve the tool by leaps and bounds. “We have since rolled out more features and updates to further help simplify work processes for fellow ERA teammates,” he says. The new features have further bolstered Sales+ Financial Whiz’s winning edge, which includes a host of other unique and comprehensive calculators that are not yet found in the industry.

Woo conducting a workshop introducing EC Whiz, one of the newer features in Sales+ Financial Whiz at the Copen Grand sales gallery

Meaningful mentorship

A good mentor can have a tremendous impact on an agent’s development – something that Woo knows firsthand. “I’ve been lucky to have great mentors, so I understand how important it is to be able to learn from someone who’s knowledgeable and truly cares about your growth and development,” he says. This is especially crucial for rookie agents, who may not have the established networks and contacts to tap.

Because of that, he takes his role as a mentor seriously. “For me, it’s important to teach the skillsets every agent needs in order to build a successful career,” he adds. From the nitty-gritty of how to reach out to clients to the technical aspects of closing a deal, he seeks to help his associates master the fundamentals.

He recognises that every agent, whether new or experienced, has their own specific set of needs and requirements when it comes to mentorship. As such, he strives to ascertain these needs and tailor his guidance accordingly, employing both one-on-one training sessions and group activities to effectively coach his members.

Woo and fellow ERA teammates at a training workshop for ERA Sales+ Financial Whiz

Fostering the right attitude

When asked why agents should join his team, Woo takes a moment to reflect. “I think agents are seeking a mentor who would sincerely put in the time and effort to help them grow,” he says. “That’s what I can offer.”

In a way, he aims to provide a sense of shelter for his associates, allowing them a safe space to learn and ask questions. At the same time, however, he notes that mentorship is a two-way street. “Agents have to be willing to learn and put in the hard work.”

He emphasises that there are no shortcuts to building a successful real estate career. “A lot of agents make the mistake of thinking success comes overnight, or wanting to be spoon-fed by their manager,” he adds. “But that’s not a long-term solution.”

Instead, by focusing on building a strong foundation, his objective is to have his team members become independent. He embraces a tough-love approach when coaching his associates, knowing that providing direct feedback, balanced with care and dedication, will help them to develop and thrive. “At the end of the day, if my associates end up becoming an even better agent than me, I’ve done my job,” he says. Ultimately, his goal is to shape them into self-sufficient successful agents.

For more information,

Contact Jackson Woo | 82331685

District Division Director (R024629A)

ERA REALTY NETWORK PTE LTD

https://www.joineracareer.sg/

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