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SINGAPORE – William Tan can stage any property appealingly for sale, but the star realtor does not know how to stage his emotions.<\/p>\n
A muscled Hyrox competitor, the 51-year-old Singaporean exudes poise under pressure. That composure recently helped him win the third season of PropertyGuru\u2019s local reality show Home Run, where 12 ambitious property agents competed to ace challenges, from video marketing to pitching a good class bungalow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet, Tan was momentarily misty-eyed on national television in Episode 5, and again in an interview with The Straits Times, while remembering a 94-year-old client whose family felt she should transition to a nursing home.<\/p>\n
Mentally sharp though frail, the senior lived with a domestic helper and rejected every previous agent\u2019s pitch to sell her Marine Parade Housing Board flat. She had spent half a century there, surrounded by memories and photographs dating back to the 1930s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided that, no, I\u2019m not going to pitch anything,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI just wanted to have a chat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slowly, she opened up, allowing him to prepare the property for the market. Tan helped her declutter, all the while honouring her deep attachment to her \u201cforever home\u201d. Two months later, the flat was sold to a very happy family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His epiphany arrived during the completion process at HDB. Sitting in her wheelchair, the Eurasian auntie, who rarely spoke, reached out her hand and thanked him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll remember this for the rest of my career,\u201d says Tan of that encounter 4\u00bd years ago. \u201cIt was beyond just working on a transaction. You have an impact on somebody\u2019s life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That day, Tan realised afresh that real estate is less about moving brick and mortar than stewarding real people through life transitions.<\/p>\n
Today, he leads a 15-man team at home-grown agency SRI. He navigates residential segments, dealing in resale HDB flats, condominium units, new launches and landed homes. He also brokers commercial real estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n