![](\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Mary-Sai-Knight-Frank-1.jpg?fit=820%2C522\")
\nLeny Suparman is the co-founder of KOP Limited, a developer of luxury properties. (Photo: KOP)
\nDespite what some people think, females make up a large part of the real estate workforce in Singapore, holding various jobs like valuation, auctioneering and even property development. We speak to two highly respected women about their experiences working in an industry that is sometimes perceived as a man\u2019s world.
\nBy Romesh Navaratnarajah
\nPoised, articulate and friendly are just some of the words that come to mind when describing Mary Sai, Executive Director of Investment and Capital Markets at Knight Frank Singapore, one of the leading real estate firms here.
\nIn an industry that is often perceived as male-dominated, she has made a name for herself by leading the Commercial Sales Department, negotiating the sale of investment buildings, land sales and commercial projects.
\nSitting down for an interview with PropertyGuru, she quickly dispels the notion that real estate is a man\u2019s world. \u201cI never felt that gender was an issue,\u201d she said. \u201cIn fact, we are seeing many second-generation female leaders in the business, such as developers\u2019 children, and also up-and-coming executives. Some of the chief valuers and brokers are also women.\u201d
\nShe added that there is a large number of good female quantity surveyors in the construction industry, and the same can be said about the architecture practice. She points to Wo Mei Lan, co-founder of Liu & Wo Architects, as a trailblazer in architectural conservation.
\nSome other influential names that come up during our interview include Ong Chih Ching and Leny Suparman, the co-founders of luxury developer KOP Limited; Kemmy Tan, CEO at Malaysia-Singapore joint venture firm, M+S, which developed the DUO and Marina One projects; and the Housing and Development Board\u2019s (HDB) CEO, Dr Cheong Koon Hean, who helped transform Singapore\u2019s public housing programme.
\nNo obstacles\u00a0
\n\u201cWhen I was in real estate training, 40 of the 50 students were female, so it wasn\u2019t intimidating for us,\u201d said Sai. \u201cWe can be valuers, quantity surveyors and marketing agents. We have a fair chance to decide what we want to do in this industry, but it comes down to personal goals. Some women don\u2019t feel like they need to have it all, but if they want it, there are no constraints.\u201d
\nIf anything, being a woman in the real estate industry has its advantages. For instance, female brokers are sometimes more persevering, and are able to negotiate for intangibles, noted Sai.
\n\u201cThis means helping both parties to compromise, which requires a certain level of patience and understanding of each other\u2019s expectations. If it is a long-drawn-out process, then interpersonal skills are required, and you need to know what areas both sides are willing to be flexible,\u201d she said.
\nFlashback to the 80s\u00a0
\nSai began her career in 1981 as a valuer in a small company. After eight years, she moved to Knight Frank to take on a role in marketing and auctioneering. \u201cI conducted auctions of historic shophouses in Chinatown, state land in Kew Drive, as well as heavy vehicle parks,\u201d she said.
\nIn 2009, when the market for strata commercial properties was heating up, she and her team began looking for opportunities in this segment. Today, she also oversees investment deals, which includes collective sales.
\nNow in her 50s, she counts herself lucky to have been mentored by Knight Frank\u2019s former Chairman, the late Cheong Thiam Siew, who was a pioneer in real estate auctions and valuation, and also a contemporary of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore\u2019s first Prime Minister.
\nDescribing him as hardworking, intelligent and a man of principle, she said: \u201cWhat mattered to him most was integrity, and this character trait was inculcated in me from the time I joined Knight Frank.
\n\u201cI always remember him telling us that whether the market is up or down, our services are required. It comes down to how you gain the confidence of your clients for them to appoint you to handle the marketing on their behalf.\u201d
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\nProperty veteran Mary Sai heads the Commercial Sales Department at Knight Frank Singapore.
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\nDealing with difficult people\u00a0
\nThe job hasn\u2019t always been easy, though. One of the biggest challenges she faced came when she was doing mortgagee sales. \u201cAs the properties were being foreclosed, we encountered owners who were very unhappy because their properties were being taken back by the bank.
\n\u201cWhen you go and inspect the property to put it up for sale, some of the owners may become abusive,\u201d she shared.
\nShe remembered this one time when the owners brought their dog to the gate to scare them off. \u201cIf I was a man, they probably would not have challenged me.\u201d But she noted that such cases are few and far between.
\nA supportive network\u00a0
\nDespite the heavy workload, Sai is happy to have the support of her loved ones. \u201cYou need help from your family when it comes to domestic affairs, like in bringing up the children while you take care of your career.
\n\u201cQuality time is very limited. What cannot be done should be outsourced, like enrichment classes and tuition for the children. I went through this myself, like many parents do,\u201d she said.
\nA flair for real estate
\nKOP\u2019s Leny Suparman has always had a passion for real estate, hospitality and lifestyle. \u201cGrowing up, my family was in many businesses, including real estate, and that interest has rubbed off on me,\u201d said the 43-year-old.
\nPrior to co-founding KOP in 2006, she headed the retail department at property consultancy CBRE for nine years, where she worked with numerous big-name retail brands in redevelopment projects in Singapore and Shanghai.
\nShe left to become Director of Real Estate in KOP Management Services, where she sourced, executed and closed property transactions on behalf of clients.
\nAs Group CEO and Executive Chairman of KOP, she now helps to oversee a company that is responsible for developing several iconic residential projects in Singapore, including Hamilton Scotts, which has garnered much attention for its unique sky garages, and Ritz-Carlton Residences \u2013 the first one outside of North America. \u201cWe (Suparman and business partner Ong Chih Ching) were one of the first women to run a real estate business in the industry,\u201d she told PropertyGuru.
\nThe group has also ventured into Indonesia, establishing its Montigo Resorts luxury hospitality brand in Batam Island and Bali. There are plans to expand further into new markets, with its joint venture development in Shanghai, dubbed WintaStar, slated to become the world\u2019s largest integrated winter resort.
\nFinancial backing\u00a0
\nSuparman acknowledges that their business received strong support from bankers and investors in the early days, who provided them with the necessary financial backing to execute their projects.
\n\u201cWe also have a very strong Board of Directors, each of whom are deeply experienced in their own fields, furnishing us with invaluable advice and opening up doors through their wide network,\u201d she said.
\nWithout divulging any names, she revealed that there are several industry leaders whom she looks up to, and heeds their advice from time to time.
\nMen still dominate\u00a0
\nWhile she has gained the respect of her male peers, Suparman still thinks the real estate industry is dominated by men. \u201cI have noticed that men are more cohesive and tend to bond together, making it difficult for women to join the \u201cbrotherhood\u201d, which is essential for networking and uncovering business opportunities,\u201d she said.
\nSuparman pointed out that another disadvantage is that property development requires a vast amount of knowledge in construction, which she feels is a man\u2019s world.
\nShe added: \u201cThe long hours and stress required to see through a project means that this is not a 9-to-5 job, which could be deterrent for many women.\u201d
\nGuts and tenacity\u00a0
\nHowever, she does see this trend changing. \u201cI hope there will be more women with the guts and tenacity to take the plunge into this industry.\u201d
\nLike Knight Frank\u2019s Sai, she holds the same opinion that women bring valuable skills that put them at an advantage over men.
\n\u201cFemale developers tend to be more sensitive to the actual function and practicality of the product because they have the end-user perspective, and typically pay more attention to detail.
\n\u201cWe also work harder and we don\u2019t take things for granted, and are more precise in the execution,\u201d she noted.
\nInequality still exists\u00a0
\nProfessor Annie Koh from the Singapore Management University (SMU) is an expert on gender inequality in the workforce. She believes that women have to work doubly hard to be recognised by their superiors, given the perception that they have to balance home and work life.
\nBut the advancement of new technology, especially in the real estate industry, means that women can adopt flexible work hours and lead projects without having to be on site all the time. Koh mentioned that with augmented reality and virtual reality becoming more popular, space plans can be viewed on the go.
\nAt the same time, \u201ccontracts can now be archived and scanned, and you don\u2019t have to carry plans and files to make smart decisions\u201d, she said.
\nWith this, Koh feels that physical barriers for women in real estate are gradually being removed, but more can be done. \u201cBuilding and construction firms must realise that they have to be more pro-family in their people practices,\u201d she said.
\nShe singled out companies like Woh Hup and City Developments Limited, which are family-owned, and therefore more likely to encourage the participation of women in decision-making processes.
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