HR Corner Property agency makes room for more by Sophie Leung Sommeliers and feng shui masters groom tomorrow's real estate leaders Along with increasingly fierce rivalry in the real estate sales market, competition for the most dynamic property salespeople is intensifying. Astute leaders at Hong Kong Property Services (Agency) Ltd, one of the major estate property agencies in Hong Kong, realise that for successful companies, people are key assets, and remain the primary source of differentiation in the marketplace. Apart from an attractive remuneration package, to compete nowadays modern enterprises must offer bright career prospects and professional training for talented people as a strategic initiative to boost recruitment and retention of the best people to support a company's developmental needs. "We invest substantial resources in staff training as we believe that professionalism is the only option in the property agency field today," notes Caroline Yeung, director, Hong Kong Property Services (Agency) Ltd. The agency will run its development programme for the second time this year to attract superlative candidates who demonstrate leadership qualities by embracing new learning opportunities and carefully managing emotions. The comprehensive training covers not only practical sales and customer service skills, but also in-depth economic analytical expertise, social dexterity, language proficiency and sporting prowess. Once candidates complete the programme satisfactorily, they instantly become branch sales managers. Ms Yeung adds, "Many high-calibre candidates welcome our programme and cherish the opportunities offered because their own personal development benefits from our training programme." Special generalists Compared with last year's programme, the training period has now been extended from 18 months to 24 months to strengthen the social networking component. The final stage covers a wide range of skills to foster all-round leaders. "We organise courses in feng shui, golf and wine appreciation to consolidate our future leaders' ability to initiate and sustain interesting conversations," reveals Ms Yeung. In her view, generalists equipped with fine-tuned social skills make ideal sales managers, responsible for actively recruiting new members and supporting frontline sales teams. The first stage of training helps candidates pass individual license exams. After two months of full-time training, candidates become sales trainees and work in the field with guidance from their supervisors. Following this, operational knowledge features, which includes sales techniques and customer service skills. During this period, trainees receive guaranteed commission, in addition to an allowance and basic salary. "Professionalism is the only option" The company is looking for fresh graduates from tertiary institutions or people with less than two years' work experience. Applications are invited during a recruitment day where all candidates take English and Chinese written tests and an aptitude survey. Branch managers then interview successful candidates. Strong performers are then asked to take a situational test, which reveals how they respond to emotional difficulties and adversity. Successful candidates undergo a second-round panel interview during which they participate in a range of activities including group discussions and role-play. "This year we aim to recruit 30 trainees," Ms Yeung adds. "Candidates must be self motivated, outgoing and presentable." Sales challenge The need for salespeople is currently acute at Hong Kong Property. The agency has almost 1,000 staff in the sales team today, comprising nearly 70 per cent of its total workforce. "We are actively looking for people with an international outlook to complement our expansion plan," notes Ms Yeung, referring to new market opportunities in Macau, Shenzhen and other mainland cities. The company is keen to tap into the property market beyond Hong Kong and aims to recruit 200 salespeople, in addition to its existing sales team this year alone. In contrast with traditional views, Ms Yeung believes that successful property agencies should not confine themselves solely to the Hong Kong property market. In essence, the principle holds true for personnel recruitment too. To replicate the success of Hong Kong Property in the Greater China market, the company is recruiting staff from colleges in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, blending their local network knowledge with Hong Kong Property culture through intensive training. "We expect our staff to reach professional levels of customer service because we aim to transform any negativity associated with the real estate profession for the benefit of our staff, the company and the industry as a whole," says Ms Yeung. She points out that Hong Kong Property has introduced specific greeting and dress codes since 1996 to ensure a consistent level of quality customer service. Additionally, a real estate professional should not merely handle client papers, but also provide sound market analysis from both the proprietor's and the investor's perspective. Knowledge of urban planning, finance and the economy ensures clients receive sound advice on future district developments, mortgage arrangements and prospective growth in asset value. Salient points * International outlook essential to complement Greater China expansion plan * All-round managerial leadership skills sought after * Professionalism maintained by sales techniques, economic acumen and networking ability * Sales manager option follows two-year training programme Taken from Career Times 4 July 2008, p. A19 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]