Estate123 Event Recap: CPD Program for Realtors @ Hangout123

Last week, a two-day CPD Program for Realtors was held at Hangout123 on 27th and 28th October, and attended by real estate agency principals as well as several real estate negotiators (REN). The CPD program, which stands for Continuing Professional Development program, was organized by Starfish Seminars, which conducts CPD programs and training activities for real estate agents and negotiators in the Klang Valley. Registered and certified members of the real estate profession are required to complete a set amount of CPD hours in order to maintain or renew their professional license, just like many other professions.

A light breakfast was provided by the organizer for both days, and the program for both days started at about 10am and ended around 4pm, with a lunch break around noon. A total of five speakers were invited to share their knowledge and experiences in their respective fields in order to guide the attendees towards a better understanding of the real estate industry and the skills needed to improve their professional development.

Nasi lemak for breakfast, anyone? 🙂

Day 1 (27 Oct)
The first speaker of the day was Ar. Kok Yen Kwan, who shared his knowledge and expertise on “Greening Malaysia’s Built Environment” through Malaysia’s Green Building Index (GBI), as well some very eye-opening information on how pollution is endangering our planet’s ecosystem and what are the benefits of going green, not only in our everyday lives but also in the buildings we live and work in.

Ar. Kok Yen Kwan – GBI: Greening Malaysia’s Built Environment

Up next was speaker Ar. Jack Chan, who presented a new perspective for real estate agents to consider in their property dealings with his topic titled “Green: Game Changer in Property Valuation”. He pointed out that the ‘green factor’ would be a useful negotiating chip when a property was deemed not in a favourable location or near an MRT station, which are often what clients look for when purchasing property. In fact, surveys carried out among property developers and industry experts have found that commercial and institutional property will benefit the most from going green.

Ir. Jack Chan – Green: Game Changer in Property Valuation

After the lunch break, the attendees returned to Hangout123 for the second part of the first day’s program. The third and last speaker for the day, Victor Lim, who is a real estate negotiator himself, talked about the myths and ‘magic’ of co-agency (or co-broking) practices between real estate agents and agencies in his “Co-Agency: Magic or Myth?” talk. He recommended that instead of viewing other agents as competition, both parties would benefit more in a co-agency deal as it would save time and effort as well as increase credibility when agents worked together. He also shared some useful tips on various ways to market properties and the different platforms and resources that can be used to improve property listings.

Victor Lim – Co-Agency: Magic or Myth?

Group photo at the end of Day 1

Day 2 (28 Oct)
The second day of the CPD Program for Realtors was kick-started with a session by lawyer David Kok, who is a legal advisor for the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) as well as a REN facilitator. His session focused on the problems and mistakes in legal documents, particularly in matters regarding real estate or property, such as letter of appointment and letter of offer. In his many years working in the legal profession, Mr Kok had come across countless cases of property disputes due to mistakes and loopholes in legal documents, and he freely shared anecdotes and personal experiences of situations – from careless blunders to clever provisions – so that the agents could learn from past examples and be alert when it comes to legal documents.

Lawyer David Kok sharing his experiences about problems and mistakes in legal documents

Wrapping up the second (and final) day of the CPD Program for Realtors was Adrian Tan from MRT Property Guide, who spoke at length about the contributing factors to the “MRT Effect”. As a realtor himself, Adrian understood that location is an important contributing factor to a property’s market and investment value. Therefore it is vital to identify the factors of a given area as well as the physical location of a property, relative to its proximity to a LRT/MRT station, before buying or investing.

Adrian Tan elaborating on the ‘MRT Effect’ and the MRT Property Guide

A big thank you to those who attended the two-day CPD program at Hangout123, and a round of applause to Starfish Seminars who organized the event and invited the speakers to take out some time to impart their knowledge and experiences. We hope everyone who attended managed to bring home valuable advice that can help improve their professional career.

See you soon at our next Estate123 event at Hangout123! 🙂

Group photo for end of Day 2

P/S: Check out the photos from both days of the CPD Program for Realtors at our Facebook page!