Jack Chua will remain as Executive Chairman of APAC Realty
SINGAPORE – 29 June 2021 – ERA Realty Network (ERA Singapore) today announced that it will be promoting Mr Marcus Chu to chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from 1 July 2021.
Marcus is currently chief operating officer (COO) of the leading real estate agency and has been with the agency for over 20 years. Current CEO Mr Jack Chua will continue to provide strategic leadership and have overall executive responsibility for the company’s business as Executive Chairman.
The separation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles will enhance APAC Realty’s corporate governance, allowing for effective oversight by the Board of Directors of the business in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders.
Bringing over 25 years of real estate experience to lead trusted advisers into a new ERA
Prior to his current role as COO, Marcus had amassed extensive experience in real estate sales and team building. He first joined ERA Singapore in 1996 and achieved stellar results by clinching Top Achiever positions locally and internationally. With over two decades of real estate experience under his belt, he has been steadfast in driving operational efficiency across the organisation, rejuvenating the sales teams, innovating products, and enhancing service levels to ensure that the business delivers on the ERA brand promise of service excellence and results. For his new role as CEO, he will be taking over the helm of the Singapore headquarters and overseeing the business operations as well as day-to-day management of ERA Singapore.
“I am grateful to serve at ERA,” says Marcus. “As CEO, I will continue to further the great work of my predecessor, Mr Jack Chua. Standing on the shoulders of giants, I will set forth to realise my vision for ERA Singapore — to be Asia’s leading Real Estate Agency by providing evolutionary solutions and services to our clients. I will also seek to build a culture that attracts top-tier talents and one where every ERA trusted adviser can excel.”
Jack will remain as the Executive Chairman of APAC Realty. His responsibilities as Executive Chairman include driving expansion and opportunities in the region. To ensure a smooth transition, he will provide guidance to Marcus, passing his institutional knowledge and expertise on to the latter.
“ERA Singapore is a strong believer in succession planning,” says Jack. “The time is now ripe for me to step down as CEO; and today’s leadership transition is testament to the success of our strategic succession planning programme which seeks to develop and elevate the next generation of leaders from our internal talent pool. A visionary in his own right, Marcus is full of ideas on how to grow and strengthen the ERA brand, especially in a post-pandemic climate. Courageous yet humble, resilient yet flexible, Marcus will certainly lead ERA Singapore to greater heights.”
Management Team of ERA Singapore
Among the senior management team in ERA Singapore is Ms Doris Ong, who is COO of project marketing. Projects have always been an integral part of ERA’s core businesses. Under the leadership of Doris, the team has planned and executed transformative marketing launches for over 300 international and local residential projects.
Despite being the only female in ERA’s senior management team, Doris has led strategic partnerships and boasted strong relationship with developers while solidifying new opportunities to expand ERA’s market share. Graduating with a BSc in Estate Management from NUS, Doris is also a licensed appraiser and a member of the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers.
Among the many market-first initiatives spearheaded by Doris include Singapore’s largest virtual property gallery Project 360 and the hosting of Singapore’s largest virtual real estate consumer show both in 2020 and this year, 2020 ERA Property Weekend and ERA Property Mega Show 2021.
The COO designate of agency business is Mr Thomas Tan. On 1 July 2021, Thomas will officially join the management team to oversee the alignment of operations and to elevate the professional competence of fellow professionals through impactful training and development programmes, as well as digital initiatives.
An accomplished leader in the real estate industry, Thomas boasts 18 years of industry experience, going from being a salesperson to Key Executive Officer of his own agency. He is very passionate about training and has been providing training for the real estate salesperson and continuous professional development courses from 2011, sharing his knowledge to over 11,000 learners.
Thomas was also the President of the Singapore Estate Agents Association, where he worked closely with the regulators, industry leaders and property agents to raise the bar of professionalism in estate agency work in Singapore.
“I am honored to join an exceptional management team at ERA Singapore, an organisation that believes in the importance of lifelong training and career development,” says Thomas. “I aim to empower our trusted advisers through rigorous and continuous training. By raising the overall competency of the agents, I hope to also bring significant change to the real estate industry, one where every agent is knowledgeable, honest and sincere.”
“We believe that professional customer service is a cornerstone of any successful business,” says Marcus. “Training and development have always been the key to grooming our agents to become professional trusted advisers. With his vast experience and network, I am confident Thomas will propel ERA’s training arm to a higher level.”
“We are delighted to bolster our management team with the addition of Thomas. We look forward to working closely with him to improve our market position and elevate the calibre of our advisers, so that they can achieve even greater success,” adds Doris.
About ERA Singapore
ERA Singapore is the largest international agency in Singapore and has been setting and redefining industry standards through the pioneering of real estate concepts, technologies, initiatives and services since its inception in 1982.
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of SGX Mainboard Listed APAC Realty Limited, ERA Asia Pacific has a vast network of offices with over 18,000 trusted professionals across 10 countries: Singapore, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
In Singapore, we have over 8,100 associates providing a diverse range of professional services and solutions for: Private and HDB residential resale, residential leasing, project marketing, commercial and industrial, property management, auction, valuation and research.
Through Ultimate Agent Training Programme, a series of specially-curated training courses developed for ERA teammates, they are able to revolutionise their skills, equip themselves with the latest trends and insights of the property market, and stay ahead of the competition. With close to four decades of experience, extensive network and innovative technological tools, the company has secured innumerable dream homes for its customers in Singapore and around the world.
Recent accolades are testaments to the company’s diligence – ERA Singapore was the first and only agency awarded the 5-Star Best Real Estate Agency (Single Office) in Singapore by Asia Pacific Property Awards; Singapore’s Most Trusted Brands by Asia Reader’s Digest; Top Property Agency by Influential Brands; Most Innovative Real Estate Agency by SBR Listed Companies Awards; Favourite Real Estate Agent (Gold) Award by Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards; Marketing Agency Excellence Award at EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards; and Best Luxury Real Estate Brokerage in Singapore by Luxury Lifestyle Awards.
