Breaking into real estate with no track record is tough. Agents compete hard for every listing and every buyer, and newcomers often struggle to win the trust of clients who have plenty of experienced professionals to choose from.
Jason Ng had an advantage many new agents do not: he grew up in a family of realtors in Vancouver, one of Canada’s most active and expensive property markets.
Learning the business from the passenger seat
Ng’s education in real estate started early. Once he was old enough to drive, it became his job to take his parents to and from client meetings. Those trips gave him a front-row view of how deals were negotiated, how clients were reassured and how transactions came together from first viewing to closing.
He says watching his parents work taught him that success in property does not happen overnight. Building several successful real estate businesses in Canada took persistence, but the lessons he absorbed as a teenager gave him the resilience to keep going when things were difficult.
Reputation comes first
Asked for his single most important piece of advice for new agents, Ng is clear: build a strong reputation and give people a real reason to trust you. “The earlier you get your foot in the door, the better chance you have of succeeding,” he says.
Trust, he explains, is what keeps clients coming back and what brings in new business through word of mouth, still one of the most powerful forms of marketing in the industry. Growing up, he saw his mother take charge of much of the relationship-building and public relations side of the family business, while his father concentrated on other operational areas.
Putting clients’ goals at the centre
“Clients approach us with their hopes and aspirations,” Ng says. Whether someone is buying their first home or selling an investment property, there are many factors to weigh. He makes a point of producing accurate, up-to-date market analysis so clients understand whether they are getting a fair deal, and he considers how easily a property could be resold if their plans change.
He also believes good agents must be willing to have uncomfortable conversations. “Part of being a realtor is being able to have difficult conversations and having the ability to present your clients with the facts,” he says. In his view, agents should treat their clients’ success as their own and be honest even when the news is not what a client wants to hear.
Advice for newcomers
For anyone thinking about a career in property, Ng’s message is simple: take the first step. That means getting properly licensed in your region and passing the required exams. After that, he says, it is about steadily building experience, skills and a reputation people can rely on.
He encourages new agents to stay open-minded and to learn as much as they can from experienced colleagues. “Working in real estate can be fun, lucrative and fulfilling,” he says, as long as you are prepared to put in the work.
