This International Women’s Day, we are shining a light on the women that make Ray White great.
Get to know one of our top women, Ray White Dalkeith | Claremont Principal Vivien Yap in Perth.
Why real estate and how did you start in the industry?
I am a qualified pharmacist, I also speak multiple languages (English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Malay and Indonesian) and I have a far-reaching network of overseas buyers. After graduating from university, I operated two successful pharmacies before deciding to take the plunge into my dream industry and beginning in real estate. I have always loved real estate, and friends, even other real estate agents, were constantly suggesting I get into the industry. I finally did – and I haven’t looked back!
How does your usual day look?
I have a busy home life and I am devoted to my two busy sons and my husband Johannes who runs his own dental surgery. I am super disciplined about writing my daily to do list and work my way through that but every day is different.
What do you enjoy most about being with Ray White? What makes real estate different?
I love listening to people and trying to find out about their needs and wants. I have a close relationship with all my clients. I love the support from the Ray White team and White family. There’s lots of training and new technology available to support all aspects of real estate. Just need to ask. The largest property group in Australasia, founded in 1902, are true innovators for the future and their investment in technology is compelling .
What’s the one thing you know now, that you wish you knew when you first started out?
Our advocacy program, which we refer to in our CRM as the “Pipeline”, is seeing on average an 80% listing conversion by offices using the systems and education.
Our Concierge service supports our buyers by understanding the important parts of the customer contract process, enhancing our customer service capacity.
Our Virtual Assistant program provides Ray White ready assistants who are trained in specific real estate processes across sales and property management.
I guess I wish I had known about all these tools earlier in my career.
Where do you see yourself in the next 12 months?
The Perth market is booming now. It’s an exciting time to be in the industry. I am very passionate about each and every property I list and my integrity ensures my clients become clients for life. While results are big, I would like to think that my focus is like a laser beam.
What are your goals?
I see my role as a ‘matchmaker’ more than a salesperson. By framing my work in this way, I always ensure I provide my buyers and sellers with value. I dedicate a lot of time getting to know each and every buyer who comes into my orbit, carefully recording their needs (and wishes) in my CRM system. Then, I get in touch with them the moment their dream home presents itself. As a result, in the last year, I have had countless off market sales and properties that go under offer within 24 hours of being listed.
What advice would you give to women starting out in the industry?
I believe in being a strong female role model, especially for working mums. One of my biggest strategies is to be vocal and visible about women in leadership roles. In 2017, I was very proud to be ranked No.2 in Real Estate Business's Top 50 Women in Real Estate.
