From management consulting to property

FROM a real estate investor to becoming a leader in development companies and now an author of a first-of-its-kind real estate book, Dr James Tee (pictured) attributes his journey in the industry to his sense of curiosity.

“I am a very curious person especially about the things that I am interested in. If I do not know much about the subject I am interested in, I will try my best to find the answers – like on real estate for instance,” Tee tells TheEdgeProperty.com.

The holder of a first class honours degree in Engineering (Mechanical) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and a PhD in Material Science & Metallurgy from University of Cambridge, Tee used to be the senior associate at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. He then joined Kurnia Group as general manager.

“I used to know nothing about real estate, until my wife and I were planning to buy a house to be our home after we got married 13 years ago,” Tee shares.

Tee’s first property was a million-ringgit condo in Mont’Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. The project was developed by premier high-rise property builder UEM Sunrise Bhd, then known as Sunrise Bhd.

“I was fascinated by Sunrise’s strong branding as it was able to establish a loyal group of purchasers. I was curious to learn more about Sunrise’s key success factors. As I gained more interest in the real estate industry, I began to think that if I carve a career in a field I am interested in, I could excel,” Tee offers.

He began his real estate journey as a casual property investor but his growing curiosity and passion for real estate eventually led him to join GLM REIT Management Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of GuocoLand (Malaysia) Bhd as chief executive officer (CEO) in mid-2011. However, a year later, he was offered the position of executive director of a top property developer in the country, UOA Holdings, as well as one of the board members of UOA Asset Management until recently, when he joined Setia Awan Group, a developer originating from Sitiawan, Perak, as executive director in February.

“I’ve learned a lot from my previous roles. My new role is more challenging as I need to assist Setia Awan to achieve greater heights,” Tee says.

Tee has also taken on another challenge recently as the author of a newly-published book entitled Malaysian Real Estate Industry – Value Creation Strategies.

“I was searching for a book about the fundamentals of the Malaysian real estate industry when I first joined the sector. However, I found nothing ideal. I have always believed that a book like this is necessary both for industry players as well as people who want to know more about this industry,” Tee says. In fact, he adds, this desire to educate people about the local real estate industry was his greatest motivation to write the book last year.

“The most challenging part of writing this book was the difficulty in accessing information,” he says, as he holds up the 360-page book. “However, it was worth all the time and effort especially when readers, who are mostly industry players, tell me that this is a good industry reference book.”

The book serves to help property developers and investors know what is needed to succeed in the industry. The book covers topics such as risk and cost management, branding and marketing, as well as the various elements of success for different types of projects including high-rises, townships, malls and hotel developments. It also contains real life examples, case studies, best practices and interviews with industry experts.

Certain chapters were written in collaboration with industry players such as Simon Kwan of Sunsuria Bhd. The foreword was written by immediate past President of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association, Datuk Seri Michael Yam.

“I enjoy learning, mentoring, and providing advice to property developers, managers and investors. I hope that by sharing knowledge and information, the book will become a personal legacy, and carve a footprint in society, and be an inspiration to many young industry leaders in the country,” Tee says.

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This story first appeared in TheEdgeProperty.com pullout on April 15, 2016, which comes with The Edge Financial Daily every Friday. Download TheEdgeProperty.com here for free.