“Use failure as inspiration” is the key message distilled from an interview we had with Chris Cheah, one of the Excellent Negotiators recognised at the StarProperty Real Estate Awards of 2018.

IQI Realty’s vision of becoming “Asia’s global real estate partner” appears more imminent thanks to one of their outstanding agents, Chris Cheah, who recently earned the title of “Excellence Negotiator” at the StarProperty.my Real Estate Awards of 2018 – an accolade that is only bestowed to highly successful agents who manage to net over RM200,000 in commissions in a year.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Chris Cheah and I have over a half decade of experience in the real estate sector. I consult, develop, and manage prime property for a wide range of clientele.

I landed a job handing out property sales for a real estate agency. Within half a year, I was promoted to a sales agent, then a leader – and finally to Head of Team. Within three years, I excelled in real estate sales and helped to train several property investors who believed in my vision and ambitions.

Surprisingly, despite the significant successes he has achieved, Chris Cheah had no formal education in the real estate industry – where he continues to play big and dictate the pace.

What do you think is your greatest strength?

Persistence. On my business path, I have failed several times. But that didn’t in any way stop me from dreaming bigger – I may have been down, but I was never out!

When asked about how he dealt with rejection, this is what he had to say, “I think we just have to get used to it. We’re not always as good as we like to think.”

Overcoming the pain of rejection and treating failures as opportunities to learn and grow was what Chris Cheah made of his difficulties. With regards to overcoming adversity, Chris Cheah admits to drawing inspiration from Forrest Gump – the fictional character who never considered himself disadvantaged by chance or nature and instead maintains a positive and almost childlike demeanour in the face of events that would have devastated ordinary people.

You are the head of a large team, is it difficult to lead so many people? How do you cope with the difficulties of team management?

I listen to my teammates’ wishes and I work very hard in helping them to unlock their dreams. My career has been built on providing my teammates with an experience based on commitment, knowledge, and honesty.

Also, I seek to increase my team’s effectiveness by developing a model to promote teamwork and launching initiatives to improve productivity and efficiency. I have a framework in place that promotes collaboration and sustained improvement in the organisation's performance.

Is there any advice you would like to share with new agents in the industry?

Believe in yourself, be persistent in the face of adversity and treat rejections and failures as opportunities to propel yourself ahead, that’s what I would share with new agents in the industry.

Read more about other winners of the StarProperty Real Estate Awards here.