Jonathan Lee leaves musical dreams to build fortunes in real estate

YOU might not know it just from looking at him, but Mont’Kiara based GMAC Realtors chief operating officer, Jonathan Lee began playing the violin at age four, and was playing in an orchestra at seven. At 15, he was touring professionally and playing back up for the likes of do-it-all star Wang Leehom (singer-songwriter, record producer, actor and film director) and Vanessa Mae.

When he turned 20 in 2001, Lee was offered a scholarship to study music at St Petersburg College in Florida in the US. It was a good gig, and he had planned to live there after his studies, for the career opportunities in the music and entertainment industry. For a while, it all seemed to be going to plan. Then Lehmann Brothers crashed, followed not long after by the house of cards called the global financial system. Lee’s ambition to be a professional musician would be demolished in due course.

“Because St Petersburg is a state-run college, my scholarship was retracted due to the economic crisis. I did all I could with my parents’ help and worked while studying but we just could not afford the fees there. I came back to Malaysia without a degree,” Lee shares.

Jobless undergrad tries to service six-figure loan

Returning to Malaysia in 2004, he started looking for a job. “When I came back, we were in a lot of debt because we took up loans to pay off for our studies. My immediate plan was to find a job that would enable me to pay off our six-figure loan as fast as I could. I knew that the only way to do so was to take up a sales job because it is based on commission and I had the possibility of earning more if I successfully closed more deals,” Lee says.

He joined a company selling golf memberships, and met a colleague selling real estate, part-time. “I can say that it was by chance that I discovered the real estate industry … I had no qualifications except for my SPM (school leaving certificate), but I knew I was good at two things — my proficiency in the English language and a fair bit of geography.”

After finding out how much his colleague earned, it was a no-brainer. Lee was then 23, and “very bored just selling golf memberships” and not learning anything new. Real estate would prove more stimulating: “I get to meet different people, build relationships, go places and learn about different products, from residential to commercial. I wanted to explore more while keeping in mind my responsibilities.”

A responsible young man

Lee’s responsibilities included a young family. “Marrying early helped push me to explore the job options out there. At the end of the day, bills must be paid and I have to ensure I can provide for my family. But, I cannot just explore endlessly without remembering the commitment I hold at home,” he says.

With that in mind, he joined the agency Kimfield Properties, where he worked for a year. It was to prove another fortuitous move for the good advice he would receive.

“My boss at Kimfield told me that I should venture into an English-speaking [market] like Mont’Kiara because my Chinese language wasn’t strong.” The firm was then based in Kuala Lumpur’s Kuchai Lama area, and was geared towards serving the Chinese-speaking community there.

Lee recalls a defining moment from his early days as a negotiator 10 years ago. “This deal shaped my life. I was closing this deal for a unit in Mont’Kiara Damai, which was my first million-ringgit deal. It was two days before Chinese New Year. After I closed the deal, I brought my family members out for a nice dinner in a Chinese restaurant. It meant a lot to me because I was only 24 at that time, and there were not many properties in the million ringgit range then. The development was by Sunrise Bhd (now UEM Sunrise), and I thought to myself, I would like to market their projects one day.”

That intention materialised in 2013 when GMAC Realtors was appointed the agency to market UEM Sunrise projects, and continues to do so now, nationwide.

Lee naturally counts the appointment as a milestone, but not for the usual reasons: “To me, my milestones do not come in the amount of money I earn, or the car I am driving, or the house I am staying in, but instead, that come from being recognised by my clients who put their trust in me,” he says.

The kind and level of faith a negotiator engenders in clients comes from the ability to dispense useful advice that is tailored to their needs, Lee adds. This in turn is built on deep and wide knowledge beyond the property market alone, to the macro-economic conditions and policies that can move markets over the short and long term. And, of course, trust is built with the art of listening carefully to clients, so you know what they need, even when they are themselves unsure of how to invest.

In a nutshell, Lee’s advice is: “Work hard at what you are doing, but more importantly, work hard on yourself to improve your knowledge.”

He currently leads a team of 23 negotiators who ring up annual sales of some RM150 million on the primary market and RM100 million on the secondary market. And his targets for the next few years? There are no figures, just a focus on doing things consistently and faithfully.

“I wouldn’t say I must have a team of 1,000 or 10,000 in the next few years. I just want to continually impact the lives of my team members by sharing with them my knowledge and teaching them from scratch how the industry works. If it is God’s plan for me to lead 1,000 or even 10,000 people, then let it be,” he says.

And his plans for a music career? With his violin, Lee and his church worship team rock the altars.

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This story first appeared in The Edge Property pullout on Jan 8, 2016, which comes with The Edge Financial Daily every Friday. Download The Edge Property here for free.