CEO Insights Magazine

While the real estate market had faced difficult challenges in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has since bounced back with expectations of positive growth. It is touted that the industry's global market value will see a Corporate Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.2 percent, and reach US$ 5.85 trillion by 2030 (according to Research and Markets). To unlock the full potential of the market, a modern leader capable of steering the ship in the face of ever-changing economic conditions is needed. Reinventing strategies for long-term value creation is Marcus Chu, CEO of APAC Realty and ERA Asia Pacific, who heralds a new era for the largest international real estate agency in Singapore.

Marcus is an accomplished realtor with over two decades of industry experience under his belt, having honed his keen business sense as broker, investor ­ and now, leader. Since his appointment to his current portfolio as CEO last year, Marcus has, and continues to be a key figure of APAC Realty and ERA Asia Pacific, helming its day-to-day operations, from strategic planning to core functions such as talent recruitment, training, corporate communications, research, and innovation. Marcus is also responsible for setting up exemplary benchmarks and initiatives that have garnered numerous accolades for the businesses under his charge.CEO Insights Asia engages in an exclusive conversation with Marcus himself, who shares more about his ambitions to take regional real estate to newer heights.

Shed some light on your journey with ERA and the various responsibilities you have held thus far.

I currently head the ERA APAC  headquarters in Singapore, overseeing its day-to-day management while pursuing our vision: transforming APAC Realty into Asia's leading real estate agency. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to spearhead numerous prop-tech innovations and initiatives to drive the Group's digital transformation. While I had first begun my property career as an investor in the early 90's, I was fortunate enough to make strides in the real estate industry soon after joining ERA in 1996. At ERA, I started out as an adviser before quickly making my mark as COO of ERA Realty.

Now as a CEO, I hope to strengthen ERA's core and competitive edge in order to attract new talents, and retain existing ones. We are taking a long-term approach to expand and grow the ERA brand in the region for a strong APAC presence, delivering bespoke and best-in-class service to our customers and enhance our reputation as an agency of choice. I am happy to also be a mentor to the current ERA leadership team, which comprises of more than 300 ERA Division Directors who are leading successful teams of trusted advisers, each specialising in different market segments. leading successful teams of trusted advisers, each specialising in different market segments.

How would you define ERA as an organization?

Since its inception in 1982, ERA Singapore has emerged as the largest real estate agency in the region with a global presence in over 10 countries. We are the first real estate agency to be listed on the Singapore Exchange with a long-standing reputation as the preferred real estate brand nation-wide.

What makes us the agency of choice is our mission to be in the hearts of our consumers. To do so, we strive hard to provide our clients as well as real estate agents with positive experiences. Likewise, we keep a steadfast focus on our core values. Unity, Integrity, Innovation, Gratitude, and Passion are the cornerstones that our business is built around. We also aim to fulfil our brand promise of earning our customers' trust by living out our motto of being 'always there for you'.

As an innovation-driven leader, what transformational initiative(s) have you put forth in your company?

Digital transformation has always been at the core of our innovation. Being at the forefront of technological growth has enabled us to remain resilient to financial crises, market downturns, and changes in real estate regulations.

An innovation we cherish is RealtyWatch ­ our one-of-a-kind CRM tech tool. We can proudly say that it is the pioneering client-agent-enabling CRM tool in the real estate industry that offers real-time continuous updates on the latest neighbourhood property transactions.

We also recently launched a new app called SALES+ that empowers our agents to service their clients better. SALES+ was created with the intention of improving the presentation experience, and it houses a suite of solutions including an intuitive financial calculator, as well as an easy-to-grasp Market Trend and Analysis feature.

These consumer-friendly features make it easy for clients to understand their property purchases, while assisting them to make the right investment decisions.

What is the unique proposition that you foster for your clients?

As an industry leader, we believe that innovation is about collaboration and pushing boundaries. To that end, ERA has partnered up with various innovative prop-tech companies that stand out from the competition. These synergies have in turn allowed us to enhance our technological capabilities, as proven by the various agent- and consumer-centric apps in our arsenal.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs in the real estate industry?

Proficiency is the key to success and competency is necessary for growth – in order to make a mark in your career, the first step is to know your work well. Relationship building is also crucial for collaboration. Without empathy and the ability to connect with others, it would be impossible to go the distance with them, much less achieve your joint objectives. Lastly, you have to dream big to succeed; do not be afraid to go out there and pursue your ambitions.

Marcus Chu, CEO, APAC Realty and ERA Asia Pacific

Under Marcus’ able leadership, ERA is committed to upholding the tradition of innovation and service excellence while building a more professional and trusted real estate agency.