(not so) New beginning...

So, I have not updating at all. My life has had some changes. I embracing it. Some I still don't really like some I have to. But I know, fate will take me to where I should be.

I lost my father on 8th March and then my father in law on 24th October. Both in 2016. I shifted to a place I never dream I will be yet here I am at Sepang. I put my work on pedestal. I miss showing houses and talk property yet I didn't do what I have to do to get potential buyer.

I do my new work half heartedly because it wasn't my passion. Yet I know I'm doing a good job handling it.

I am not what I normally was. I continue putting pressure to myself yet, I still feel empty. I have everything I wanted yet I yearn for me. I am turning new age this Friday with hope yet I do not know what I'm hoping for.

HOW TO CREATE A PRODUCTIVE WEEK

Malaysian property market might be slow but that doesn't mean we have to be slow and pulled down with its gloom prospect. We must strive and persevere so we won;t get dissapointed.  I admit I'm much into sadness as my investment yet to show any good result. 

Last nite as I read through my Facebook feed I come into this article. It is so simple. I mean this is something that every one knows. But sometimes you need to read other people experience or being told by stranger. 

Read on. I hope it help

One question I'm frequently asked is about time management. How do I schedule work, family, and personal events in an effective way? To be fair, I'm not always successful at achieving a perfect balance, but I've implemented a few processes that help me benchmark whether I'm using my time wisely. Each Sunday night, I go to bed with the same goal: to feel satisfied about the previous week and to outline what I'd like to accomplish over the next seven days. Here are the five things I do to map out a successful week.

1. Look at the week on a macro level. In order to have a good sense of the week ahead, I first look at my schedule on a larger scale. I pay attention to how many meetings I have, so that if there's a day when I won't be in the office, I'll know ahead of time to front load work the day before so that it still gets done on time. I'm diligent about my to-do lists, but make sure to build in wiggle room for unexpected delays. This also applies to our meal planning, so that if I see that G and I will both be home for dinner on Monday and Tuesday night, but I have plans Wednesday night, we buy the appropriate groceries. In the past, we did one big shopping haul, only to realize that food was going to waste on those nights when nobody was home to cook. By looking at the week as a whole, it helps me know what to expect each day so that I have realistic goals and can execute against them.

2. Maintain rituals. I find sticking to a routine ensures that each day is productive. I'm a creature of habit, but it's even more important now with Sloan, because babies (at least ours!) do really well with predictable schedules. Each day looks more or less the same. I get up at around 6:30, wash my face, apply lotion, then go into the kitchen. I make Sloan's breakfast (she typically rotates between eggs and chicken sausage, waffles with greek yogurt, oatmeal with bananas or cottage cheese with berries) and while I prepare it, I drink a cup of warm water with lemon. After she finishes her breakfast, we go for a 45-minute walk and then come home and I shower, do my makeup, and change into my clothes for the day (whether that's my work attire or a casual look for the weekend). I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at roughly the same times each day and make sure Sloan has a whole ritual around going to sleep (which includes dinner, bath time, reading, a bottle and then a lullaby). I respond to emails at specific times (so that I'm not answering sporadically throughout the day, interrupting other tasks), take designated breaks, and end work by a certain hour.  

3. Always have something to look forward to. I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement and believe that each day and week should be peppered with things that get me excited. Sometimes those things are small (diving into a TV series, or ordering in from my favorite restaurant) and other times they're bigger (like this recent girls' trip), but they make a difference and keep my regimented schedule (see #2) from feeling monotonous. 

4. Identify what motivates you. We all find motivation in different places and I think it's important to acknowledge what drives you. For me, it comes from one main place: fear of failure. I'm competitive and never want to feel as though I've become complacent or that I'm not reaching my potential. I've been asked before what compelled me to continue working on my blog in the beginning when, for months, I received essentially no traffic. And it was based on fear. Even though I had no comprehension of the scope of what the site could lead to, I was scared to stop since I felt like that was giving up. Now I set goals for myself (and the company) each quarter so that I have something concrete to work towards on a weekly basis. It helps me from ever feeling complacent and serves as a constant motivator to always try and push myself.

 5. Take care of the little things. A little organization goes a long way in simplifying my life. Since my job is public-facing, seemingly trivial things, like making sure my hair is done and my nails are polished, are pretty important. But I also don't want to spend too much time or energy on them, so I make sure to take care of everything by the time Monday rolls around (I'm lucky that a blowout lasts me nearly seven days), so I start the week looking and feeling my best. The same goes for planning my outfits based on my schedule that week, handling our food prep, and making sure any loose ends (returns, errands, etc.) are handled so that I can focus on the bigger picture.

P.S. - A more complete picture of my morning routine (though it's changed a bit since October, along with Sloan's rapidly evolving habits), and my time-saving tips. 

source : http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/series-stories/how-i-map-out-a-successful-week

MARKET TAK MENARIK, APA PERUNDING HARTANAH PERLU BUAT?

Nak buat apa ya ketika pasaran hartanah down ni? Harga dah menarik ikut bank value, tapi tak ada buyer. Harga owner dan buyer dah matched tapi loan tak lepas pulak. Ataupun ada owner yang sangat bercita-cita masih mahukan untung 30% - 50%. Apa tindakan yang boleh kita buat?

1. Nangis & update resume, apply kerja. 

Ramai yang berfikir begini termasuk saya. Security gaji bulanan sangat menarik dan menggoda ketika barangan semua sangat mahal. Bayangkan cost pengiklanan, telefon dan minyak kereta telah dibelanjakan tetapi masih belum mendapat pulangan. Tidak termasuk belanja harian. Memang ada yang menagis. Boleh juga buat cara short cut ni. Tugas perunding hartanah on the side. 

2. Lawan & teruskan

When the time gets tough, the tough gets tougher. It is true. Persevere. Teruskan iklan. Teruskan cold calling investors. Teruskan buat opening. Teruskan attend talk. Teruskan berkawan dengan positif people. 

3. Cipta kelainan

Bagaimana untuk mencipta kelainan pada perkhidmatan? 

Ada beberapa cara:

a) Buat opening. Mohon pada owner exclusive untuk tempoh Open House. Katakan yang anda mahu menjemput bakal pembeli untuk datang dan melawat hartanah tersebut. Pastinya owner/lister bersetuju kerana tujuan hakiki adalah untuk menjual hartanah dia secepat mungkin

b) Buat flyers. Old school tapi tak semestinya tidak effective. Mungkin ramai yang 'malas' untuk buka akhbar atau melawat lawan web hartanah

c) Buat bunting atau sigboard.

Ini sebenarnya soliciting tapi pedulik lah. Paling-paling pun signboard tu akan diturunkan.

4. Baca berita dan artikel berkenaan perunding hartanah

Saya cadangkan berita luar negara yang mengalami kejatuhan harga. Kita belajar daripada mereka yang mengalaminya awal dari kita. Contohnya London dan beberapa tempat di USA

5. Kongsi Listings

Jika niatnya adalah untuk closed secepat mungkin, ada baiknya berkongsi listings. Prospect anda mungkin tidak mahu listings anda, vice versa 

Ini saja yang dapat saya fikirkan buat masa ini. 

****************************************************************

Sebenarnya saya sudah lama tidak berkerja semenjak menjaga bapa saya yang diserang stroke hinggalah meninggal dunia. Sangat terasa berbezaan market sebelum saya bercuti. Saya tidak menerima call daripada iklan. Mujur saya mempunyai beberapa signboard dan panggilan hanya untuk property sekitar signboard dipasang. Ada juga signboard yang tidak mendapat panggilan langsung. Jadi saya dapat membuat kesimpulan kehendak pasaran dan dapat membuat keputusan penting berkenaan focus area.

Saya memang sangat down dengan masalah peribadi dan ketika itu tak tau hendak bermula dari mana untuk berkerja semua. Apa yang saya ingat adalah 5 cycle of Real Estate Negotiator:

1. Listing

2. Seller

3. Viewing

4. Buyer

5. Closing

Saya kini bermula dengan 1. Semoga dapat ke 5 dengan mudah, insya Allah. Dengan menulis artikel ini saya harap saya dapat re-focus and continue learning what works and what's not workable in this trying time. 

With that, have a good week fellow negotiators!

BAGAIMANA NAK MEMULAKAN KERJAYA PERUNDING HARTANAH (FAQ)

Assalamualaikum semua,

Sejak akhir-akhir ini banyak WhatsApp & email saya terima bertanyakan soalan diatas. Ada yang saya dapat balas tetapi bila timing tak kena, terpaksa saya KIV. Sudahnya saya jadi lupa. 

Soalan yang diberi generally adalah sama. Untuk itu, saya sediakan FAQ untuk tatapan. Maafkan saya, kalau tidak lengkap. Ini adalah pengalaman saya bersama company yang I work with. Maybe different company provide different rules. 

Saya bersama Reapfield sejak 2009. Setakat ini memang berpuas hati. Principal berikan kami freedom. Asalkan tidak melanggar peraturan, dia biarkan saja kami.

Berikut adalah FAQ yang saya terima:

1. Bolehkah bekerja part time
Bergantung kepada agency. Ada yang benarkan. Ada yang stricly NO. 

Tanya diri sendiri, bolehkah kamu tanggung diri tanpa pendapatan tetap 

--->YES. So, focus buat property sahaja.
--->NO. Plan your work. Ingat, ketika memulakan kerja sebagai perunding, disiplin sangat penting untuk mencari listing, iklan & bawa orang viewing. 

Jika minat tidak tinggi (lebih untuk mencari pendapatan sampingan sahaja), saya cadangkan buatlah unit trust ataupun sebagai agent insurance

2. Apa itu focus/specialise/farming area?
Ia bermaksud kawasan utama untuk buat property business. 

3. Bagaimana hendak memilih focus area?
Boleh jadi dekat rumah, dekat kampung, kawasan familiar. Saya bernasib baik ketika memulakan kerja saya memilih kawasan yang baru. Tidak banyak pesaing, harga juga mudah mark-up. 

4. Bagaimana hendak memilih agency?
Soalan ni agak tricky. Reapfield mungkin terkenal di Klang Valley. Tetapi tidak di Perak, Terengganu Pahang etc

Buat lah research. Pergi interview & tanya siapa team leader. Google orang tu. Kang dapat team leader yang sama-sama nak berebut listing, payah juga.  

5. Ada agency bumiputra/Muslim?
Off koz ada. Google saja

6. Berapa pendapatan perunding hartanah?
The more you close, the more you get. Kita adalah orang yang makan commission. Tak ada basic, jadi kena lah pulun kerja hari-hari. Hari terbaik untuk berkerja adalah hari orang lain bercuti. 

7. Berapa sebenarnya pendapatan perunding hartanah ni?
Maksimum boleh collect daripada tuan rumah/landlord adalah 3% daripada amount closed. 3% itu dikongsi antara perunding hartanah & agency. Ada agency ambil 20% dan ada agency ambil 30%

Ketika memilih agency, tanya soalan ni betul-betul. Jangan sampai sedih makan hati tengok fee masuk masuk akaun kita tak seperti dijangka

8. Ada sales target?
Mesti ada. Setiap license holder dibolehkan mempunyai 30 perunding. Kalau you tak perform, lebih baik spot tu dia bagi kat orang lain. 

Normally, company letak target RM50,000 per year. Jagan terkejut. Jumlah ni kecil sahaja sebenarnya. Contoh, commish untuk property RM1m is RM30k. Jual dua unit you dah ada RM60k. Setahun hanya jual dua unit. Selebihnya, rest.

9. Kalau tak achieve target?
Bye-bye.

10. Betul ke?
Mestilah. Agency selalunya akan bagi guide, akan bagi peluang, akan train...takkan tak boleh buat. 

11. Kalau dah buat semua, tak dapat target juga?
Betul, mesti akan ada case begini. Saya juga pernah alaminya. Bertabah sangat-sangat. Rasa nak cari kerja full time semula pun ada. Namun inilah konsep rezeki. Kalau makan gaji, confirm gaji ada setiap bulan..kalau income harap commish ni, susah lah. Unless holding power tinggi. 

Ada juga case yang dah close, owner & buyer dan ok, sekali ada satu halangan yang luar jangka. Menangis darah namun tetap tak jadi. Kenalah tabah. Ingat selalu, rezeki adalah rahsia Allah. Kita usaha berpeluh darah pun, kalau bukan masa untuk kita dapat, tetap tak dapat. Akan ada sesuatu yang lebih baik dari itu. Always positive.

p/s sentiasa lah update team leader. Selalunya mereka faham & akan usahakan untuk memastikan semangat you tak padam

12. Macamana nak cari listings?
Off koz lah sebagai rookie, listing is zero. Tapi banyak caranya.
a) minta team leader listing yg dia tak nak buat
b) browse internet, cari kat classified for FSBO
c) join team jual new development
d) buat property search

(ini yang saya buat)

13. HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS IN AGENCY
Step 1, smile.
There you make friends already!

All the best!

p/s always always persevere!

Jenis Customer Yang Buat Saya Menyampah

Oh well....I'm human. Yes, I do get irritated with potential client.

Why potential client? Because we did not transacted any business yet. I'm not sure if he ever appoint be my client. 

Ceritanya macam ni, dua tahun lepas seorang pelabur bertanya pendapat untuk pelaburan hartanah beliau. I layan lah macam biasa. Dia tanya saya jawap. Cuma dia suka mesej waktu malam. Saya tak kisah sangat sebab fon saya on silence waktu malam, jadi saya akan jawap keesokan hari. Saya fikir mungkin dia sedang berbaring untuk tidur dia terfikir this & that. Tak pelah. 

Tetapi dia tak fokus. Shah Alam, Puchong, Seremban dan KL. Kemudian minta expected return. Lar, macamana tu? Itu semua dia boleh dapat daripada penasihat kewangan lah. Tak mahalpun fee penasihat kewangan professional. Dia suka ulang-ulang budget dia. Sampaikan saya rasa duit tu kalau dia letak in FD, dah beranak dah pun.

Anyway, malam ni dia mesej lagi. With the same questions! OMG!!!!!!

Tetap tak beli apa-apa lagi. Nak layan ke orang macam ni? 

TO FORFEIT OR TO REFUND?

"My boss once asked what I want when I receive a new listing and I said "a closing". She said you must ask/pray for a smooth closing and satisfied buyer & seller so you can be a happy realtor.

Dalam economy tak stabil ni, tetap ada pembeli & penjual. Tetapi atas sebab luar kawalan, banyak kali terjadi duit deposit terpaksa dipulangkan padahal kami, orang tengah yang kerdil (walau ada kami yg oversize), sudah menjalankan tugas dengan betul. Titik peluh kami terpaksa dihalalkan sambil mengharap deal seterusnya yg tak pasti bila."

The above is my Facebook status few days ago.  One of my colleague is having difficult time in one of his deal. He is considering to abort the deal as buyer and seller not in agreement on some matter. I feel sorry for him because he has done his work dilligently. He sweat for it, spent money on advertising and telephone bills and other expenses. His has invested a lot of time to the property.  It is fare to ask him to make full refund to purchaser?  

Also, it is fare for the vendor? His property is on hold once earnest deposit collected. He might lose another offer during that period.  I do not have full story as I don't go to office as often as I should but knowing this situation made me sad. 

On other hand, I feel bad to forfeit purchaser's money. Property is always biggest purchase one make and the earnest deposit is defitenitely biggest investment he put down to. I would fight to get my money back if I'm in that situation.  

What will you do? 

  

BUNGALOW LAND FOR SALE @ CAHAYA SPK

 

Design & Built your own bungalow at the most elite, premium land in Cahaya SPK

Perched on a scenic hilltop, The Hillpark is a comminity of exclusive bungalows where you determine and function your own dream home.

In hand now I have two lots for sub-sale.  An intermediate units and it is 50% slope. One is 12,561 sq ft and the other is 8,783 sq ft.  Construction works can commence immediately.

Think about coming home to a house that you yourself design.

Cahaya SPK is also a complete neigbourhood with 38,000 sq ft Cahaya SPK Resort Club offers top notch facilities such as:-

* Olympic-length swimming pool
* Children Fun Pool
* Gymnasium
* Dance Studio
* Tennis Court
* Squash Court
* Badminton Court
* Games Room
* ..many more

PENYEWA LARI SEBELUM CUKUP SATU BULAN

Oh no......

Nightmare ok! Nighmare. This happened in July 2015.  The rented property is an end lot located in Shah Alam. 

Here the situation. 

I have a listing in Seksyen 6 Shah Alam with Landlord that I have been working with since 2011. The said unit is a fully furnished double storey link house. I shared the listing to with colleagues and one of them brought a very good candidate.  A director for one of companies operating in Shah Alam. The tenancy will be between the company he works for and landlord.  To me, this is a good potential as I like the stability a company provides. 

After one showing, the prospect Tenant like the house and subsequently made a number of request such as extra air conditions, new refrigerator and few more which the owner complied.  About two weeks after he and his family moved in, my colleague received call Tenant that he wanted to move out and want to see her to return keys. Naturally we were shocked.  

Another meeting was set between me, Landlord and my colleague as tenant's agent. Landlord was absolutely not happy and asking us to replace with new tenant. Landlord has spent an amount of money and Tenant that we brought in did not honour the tenancy. 

Here some issue:

1.  Deposits
2.  Duration signed & stamped
3.  Agent's fee is one month rental for period of tenancy
4. Agent has to replace for free


The deposit was forfeited. 

Duration was two years and by right the Tenant has to reimburse owner whole remaining sum because he breaks the promise

The owner was right to ask the agent (which is me) to replace with new tenant for free.  At first I was sad. Why should I do it for free? Sedih juga sebab penat yang dulu tak habis lagi... Somemore I shared the fee with my colleague, she should bear it. However, the trust was given to me by Landlord. So teh duty fell on me, not her.

Alhamdulillah, I managed to find new tenant not long after that.  So far, Landlord is happy with MY tenant. 

Moral: Jangan berkira bila bekerja.

Thankful because it ended well with my Landlord

SEWA RUMAH/KEDAI : TUGAS PERUNDING HARTANAH

Hi all,

Demam gembira jumpa Fahrin Ahmad dah hilang dah...back to norm. Dah tak mimpi-mimpi lagi hahaha

Hari ni mari kita cerita apa tanggungjawap Perunding Hartanah terhadap tuan tanah (kedaung atau tidak). 

1. Sewa adalah satu bentuk perniagaan yang boleh memberikan pulangan yang menarik. Semestinya yang berniaga mensasarkan untuk mendapat keuntungan yang cantik. Perunding hartanah pula berfungsi sebagai pihak tengah yang membantu mendapatkan client buat tuan rumah.

2. Sebagai perunding hartanah saya berpendapat sewa adalah pendapatan sampingan mudah tetapi peningnya bukan sedikit.  Sewa agak tricky dan perlu kesabaran yang lebih berbanding jual/beli. 

Pernah dengar tentang tenant from hell? Yang tidak bayar sewa, yang rosakkan rumah, yang terlalu bermasalah hingga jiran mengadu ke tuan rumah dan ada juga yang jadikan rumah tempat jenayah. Maka, beruntunglah jika anda mempunyai penyewa yang baik dan bertanggungjawap. (Tip : janganlah sewenangnya menaikkan sewa tanpa asas kalau dapat gold tenant)

3. Cukup berat sewa ini kerana owner bergantung kepada kita setiap kali menghadapi masalah seperti penyewa tidak membayar sewa, kerosakan dan sebagainya.  Sedangakn tugas perunding hartanah hanyalah mencari penyewa dan bukanlah memastikan penyewa membayar sewa setiap bulah hingga tamat tempoh sewaan.  

4. Paling saya gusar apabila tuan rumah meminta saya  memberi jaminan yang penyewa adalah gold tenant.  Itu mustahil untuk dilakukan.  Ketika viewing dan suaikenal, pastinya bakal penyewa menunjukkan sikap yang baik, bukankah setiap orang ketika interview adalah sopan dan nampak bertanggungjawap?

Jadi bagaimanakah saya hendak memastikan bakal penyewa adalah gold tenant? Kita bukan seperti di Australia dimana perunding hartanah dibenarkan meminta slip gaji, mendapatkan surat jaminan majikan dan sebagainya.  Perunding hartanah disini mengharapkan kejujuran daripada bakal penyewa dan campur sedikit doa semoga dipermudahkan urusan.

5. Secara mudah, tugas perunding harta adalah:-

    i)  Memberikan pendapat kadar sewaan yang diminta tuan rumah. 

    

   ii) Setelah persetujuan tercapai antara tuan rumah dan perunding, proses promosi                 bermula dan kebiasaannya melibatkan iklan, viewing dan sebagainya

   

   iii) Setelah bertemu bakal penyewa yang berminat, perunding tadi akan memberitahu             tuan rumah. Tuan Rumah sendiri akan membuat keputusan berdasarkan laporan.               Kebiasaannya Tuan Rumah akan berjumpa bakal penyewa. Saya lebih suka jika Tuan         Rumah turut sama ketika viewing.

   

   iv)  Mengambil wang booking, menasihatkan Tuan Rumah untuk memastikan keadaan 

         rumah elok dan seperti yang dijanjikan.  Juga proses penyerahan kunci & bacaan 

         meter akan dilakukan. 

    v)  Membuat reminder kepada penyewa pembayaran sewa bulan kedua.  

Kesimpulannya, tugas perunding hartanah tamat apabila serahan kunci dan peringatan untuk pembayaran sewa bulan kedua. 

Namun begitu, tidak menjadi masalah bagi kami pembantu tuan rumah untuk mengeluarkan penyewa atas dasar hubungan perniagaan yang terjalin. Namun untuk tuan rumah mengharapkan perunding tadi melakukan tugas tersebut secara percuma adalah tidak munasabah memandangkan kos telefon, perjalanan ke rumah tersebut dan sebagainya hendaklah diambilkira.  Saya juga dapati terdapat ramai rakan setugas yang tidak buat sewa kerana ia melecehkan dan memerlukan ketabahan emosi.

Untuk itu, janganlah terkejut jika terdapat Perunding Hartanah menolak permintaan mencari penyewa kerana mencari penyewa adalah seni yang tidak mudah difahami. 

Sri Acappella : Heaven for owners . If you find an opportunity to own a unit there (even a single bedroom unit) do consider it.  

My first TV interview and it's with Fahrin Ahmad!

I was so surprised to received an invite to be guest for new TV series called Inspirasi Bersama Fahrin Ahmad. Mana tak terkejut, saya bukanlah perunding hartanah yang top. Tak pernah naik pentas pun pada Awards Nite setiap tahun. Paling hebat pun saya hanya among highest closers. 

Jadi, apabila saya terima e-mail tersebut saya terus call sender untuk kepastian.  saya ambil masa beberapa minggu hinggakan diberi reminder oleh production house. Bukan sebab nak jadi diva sangat. Tetapi lebih kepada, bolehkah saya bercakap? Layakkah saya?

Ada ramai lagi di pejabat saya yang lebih hebat, mempunyai karisma yang lebih bagus dari saya. Apapun saya bersyukur atas peluang yang diberi. Sangat gembira dan berharap ini membuka saya lebih banyak peluang untuk berkongsi pengalaman yang tak seberapa.

Episode saya bertajuk : Perunding Hartanah

Tak sabar rasanya bila keluar TV :)

Bad times...

Our property market is rather slow nowadays at some locations and Shah Alam is feeling the same too.  People are playing safe and choose to wait and see before making any move/decision. For that I’m thankful for two closings I successfully secured last month. One was an under-priced double story link (intermediate) in Seksyen 8 Shah Alam and the other was a condominium in  Sri Acappella Seksyen 13 Shah Alam.  These two units was sold after my long hiatus due to preparation to sit for examination to become real estate agent. 

There are too many property on market and us negotiators noted that one listing has too many negotiators working on it.  I’m sure you saw units with too many signboards from many agency. Not many owner would give Exclusive to negotiator. Some of us are scared but some ignore it. For me, belum jodoh.

I’m optimistic that this is the time that our market is doing price adjustment.  For many years our transacted price is rather on the high side and become unaffordable at certain location. However I hope the price adjustment won't take too long.