JORDAN Chin is a licensed real estate agent and an attorney-at-law currently serving as the vice-president of legal and compliance at the FirstRock Group as well as the executive chairman of CENTURY 21 Heave-Ho Properties. Career & Education had a one-on-one with him to gain some insight into how he has managed to manoeuvre the real estate and legal spaces while balancing his personal life.

Q: Having joined the FirstRock team in 2019, how were you able to successfully manoeuvre the challenges and uncertainty of COVID?

A: When I decided to take on this role, I had set goals that I was very determined to achieve. At the time the company was undergoing a series of capital raises, so it was quite a difficult tackle with the very uncertain times we were in. If I had to narrow it down to three things, I would have to say that we made it safely through the pandemic owing to excellent leadership, being proactive, and ensuring that there was a solid plan in place to deal with any issues that might have arisen. With these three factors, we were able to surpass our targeted goals for that period.

Q: What leadership lessons have you learnt that have been your guiding principle today?

A: A huge part of leading is being able to understand people and recognise their strengths and weaknesses. One must be mindful that every day will not be a great day; however, consistency is key, and once you are determined, nothing can stand in the way of achieving your goals. It is imperative that you take the time to listen and fully understand a situation before making a rational decision as oftentimes a lack of emotional intelligence tends to prove detrimental.

Q: What has been the motivating factor that has kept you going in your industry at such an impressive rate for the past 13 years?

A: I truly love what I do. At the start of each day I challenge myself to end the day as an improved version of myself because we have such a limited time on this Earth and things can change ever so suddenly. Additionally, I want to have a legacy that my family is proud of and can proudly talk about. There are many technological advances out there that people can utilise to learn new skills, master them, and live an extraordinary life.

Q: To what do you attribute your growth and development as a leader?

A: Family plays a big role in this for me. My father passed away when I was 19 years old, but prior to his passing I was able to witness the sacrifices he made for his family on a daily basis. His entrepreneurial spirit, having owned and operated his own business, has embedded the culture of hard work within me. I have to attribute my love for real estate to him as he was also such an ardent real estate broker. As I got older it became more necessary for me to curate my space and surround myself with business professionals, entrepreneurs, and market leaders. This type of environment has allowed me to grow into the type of person I am today, both professionally and personally. It is always good to have guidance from experienced leaders because, essentially, you are a product of your surroundings.

Q: How do you balance life as a businessman, attorney, and realtor?

A: As with everything in life, it takes a bit of practice. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, but it was something I had to do. Truthfully, if you practice something long enough you get good at it, and when you’re good at it, it becomes second nature to you.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring corporate executive?

A: Firstly, it is important to learn and understand the company that you are in. Specifically its products and/or services, its revenue-generating activities, and its culture. Secondly, to advance in an organisation you have to seek out opportunities that will allow you to add value to the company in your unique way. By doing this you are making it known that you are reliable and valuable and an essential part of the company. Lastly, you must possess strong managerial skills. This will be a key factor in cultivating talent within the company as it grows.

Q: What do you think are the key drivers of success in an organisation? As a leader, how do you hold yourself and others accountable to these values?

A: In my experience, for an organisation to be successful the employees must possess and practice good communication skills, whether it be written or oral. Being able to effectively communicate with clients will see your business making unexpected positive strides. Proper planning is also critical to a successful organisation. An organisation must take the necessary steps to ensure that the product or service that it is providing is well thought through and all measures are in place for customers to have as smooth an experience as possible. Employees must also be opportunistic. In an environment such as this here at FirstRock, our team members must be able to search for deals that will be beneficial to them individually, and to us as a company. The organisation and my team practice these key drivers daily. It has formed part of our culture to be driven, which has resulted in the company staying on its course, using these as a guide.

Q: Are there any investment opportunities/trends that you are most excited about now?

A: In this business, there are always exciting investment opportunities knocking at the door. We are blessed to be in a position where we have amazing partnerships with equally successful companies. The difficulty we face is really having to choose which opportunity to invest in and when. The market is a rapidly moving one, so we have to ensure that we are always on point and always keeping up to date with the growing trends.

Q: What are some of the opportunities and challenges that you have faced in the industry?

A: Not every deal is going to be perfect, but we try to mitigate losses as best as we can. We manage a very diverse portfolio, but what I can say is that some of the best opportunities come from challenging situations. I’ve had to just put myself out there, adjust to each situation, learn from the challenges, and take every day as it comes.