LILY CHONG
Managing Director of IQI WA
Head of Country – Juwai IQI Australia
BACKGROUND
First of all, thank you for the opportunity to share my personal story and journey here. It is such a great privilege. Let me start with a little bit on my personal background. I was originally from a small country town in Sabah, Malaysia. A small village where the closest private high school is about 60 mins bus ride away. So you can imagine the size of my hometown as well as the general demographic and social economy profile. In 1993, I was blessed to have the opportunity to go to Perth, Australia to further my tertiary study and I completed a Bachelor degree in Finance and Marketing. After completing my Bachelor degree, I moved back to Malaysia where I managed to secure a job as a lecturer in Economics at a Pre-University centre.
In 1998, I moved to Hong Kong. I lived and worked in both HK and China for about 10 years. During this time, I experienced the peak of my career. I was enjoying the high income, bonuses and a lifestyle that everyone would hope for. Mind you my achievement did not happen overnight. I started working as Personal Assistant. Through perseverance, hard work and outstanding leadership, I was promoted from a temporary junior position to a senior managerial role for 5 departments, and eventually was head hunted to another German company where I worked as Operations Manager in the Quality Control Department managing 3 branches and was responsible for setting up more new branches in China. I was truly at the peak of my career then.
MOVING BACK TO PERTH
In 2008, I made a life changing decision to resign from my top job and moved back to Perth where I call home now. I started planning for my retirement at a tender age of 35. Starting a new life in a new country hasn’t been straightforward – new home, new car, and I quickly realised that our saving is going faster than expected.
Back then, other than some share trading, I did not have much knowledge about investment and passive income. So, I started to wonder how can I sustain the lifestyle that I wanted without working till the “Age Pension eligible age of 67” – that was a long time to go if I were to rely on government welfare. The thought of that worried me. With that at the back of my mind, I decided to go back to work and see how different it is to work here in Australia. I got a job in a small Perth based company as purchaser, the job and income were stable and routine but definitely not enough to satisfy my curiosity over “passive income”. I started to read books, attended seminars and learned about different investment options and of course property is one of them.
In 2010, I decided to take another leap of faith. Once again I resigned from my job and started my new adventure in Real Estate – a path that I will never look back. I didn’t choose the Real Estate industry without a considerable reason though. I was eager to build my own property portfolio after learning the importance of passive income and I figured the best way to learn is to be in it.
LIFE IN REAL ESTATE
I started working in a Real Estate Company once I got my sale representative registration. During my short 3.5 years with the company, I dedicated all my time and effort to studying and understanding the ins and outs of the industry, learned investment strategies and worked harder and smarter than anyone else. My hard work and determination have never disappointed me. I was recognised as a leading property strategist and won numerous property awards. Not only that, I started to build my own property portfolio. I am proud to say – I practice what I preach. At that 3.5 years, I also witnessed that Real Estate is an industry where your income and potential are limitless. There is no ceiling as to how much you want to earn, or how far you want to go as a professional or as an individual in this industry, as long as you are willing. My income was triple from what I had and my portfolio is growing every year. In 2014, I decided to start my own company – Trident Property Partner.
Besides all the glorious achievement, on a very honest note, real estate hasn’t been an easy path. Speak to any agent and they will tell you the same. The challenge is plentiful but the rewards are meaningful. If you are willing, this industry will push you beyond what you think you can handle and shape you to a person that you could ever imagine. That’s what I love about Real Estate and of course the monetary rewards. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want a better life for themselves and their family. Another great thing I love about Real Estate is the flexibility – flexible working hours and you can work literally anywhere.
Real estate opens up my vision and my business mindset. I never stop moving forward since and hence in July 2019, Trident Property Partners decided to join-venture with a leading global Real Estate and Investment Advisory Agency – IQI Global and forming Australia first IQI branch and Head Quarter – IQIWA. This sets our foot on the global market.
The name IQI stands for International Quality Investment. As the name suggests, it’s more than simply buying and selling properties. It’s about helping our clients realise the value in their investment. Established in Dubai in 2011, this international real estate company now operates in many countries including Dubai, Malaysia, Vietnam, Canada, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines and of course, Australia. Taking the best of corporate culture, professionalism, best practices and technological solutions, IQI has become a trendsetter for real estate agents across the world. Our team consisted of experienced property strategists with astounding investment background and portfolio. In addition, our multinational and multilingual staffs from diverse backgrounds creates innovative and thoughtful investment strategies, enabling IQI to maintain access to markets worldwide.
PARTNERSHIP WITH AIWT
Alright enough of my story, now let’s look at where to from here and some of the challenges you may face when you finish your studies with AIWT. Since April 2019, there has been a new regulation being passed down which has significantly impacted employment in the Real Estate industry. Because of that, many agents were terminated and some are still struggling to secure a job let alone new agents without any work experience. As such, having prior work experience will put you in a better position when comes to employment.
This innovative partnership between AIWT and IQI WA will provide you with a unique learning experience like never before where you can study and gain work experience at the same time. When you complete your certificate and your work experience placement, you will be equipped with real life experiences as well as relevant industry knowledge. You will have a good grasp of industry procedure, putting you ahead of your peers.
In quick summary, great rewards do not come without risks and challenges. If you are looking for a stable income and an easy job, study for another profession where you will get a stable income and an ordinary job satisfaction. Real estate is for those who are motivated, who wants lucrative income and wealth, willing to work hard and staying focus in time of hardship. If this is you then Real Estate is for you. I look forwards meeting you in my company one day. For now, all the best.
