How Velisa Leong of ERA Made a Career Change That Altered Her Life

Making a career change can be a daunting experience, but oftentimes, it can yield the best results for your professional career. It's no easy feat—the decision to leave behind your old career to embark on a new one, with little to no knowledge, requires true grit to survive and thrive. You need the determination to see it through, ambition to strive for more, and examples to follow so you stay inspired and motivated.

If you're seeking a career change, then the success story of Velisa Leong will inspire you to transform your career path. Leong is the senior marketing director at ERA Singapore, as well as a licensed and certified property agent. But this was not her first career.

How Networking Got Her Foot in the Door

Leong was a financial planner for eight years, and despite achieving success in this role, she made a brave choice for her family to redirect her career path toward real estate. For the last 4 years, Leong has built a name for herself in the Singapore real estate industry and created a small empire with her husband, who is also in real estate. It was family that pushed Leong to take the plunge, and it's a decision she doesn't regret.

"After having our second kid, as the family dynamics changed, I had a discussion with my husband (who has been running a team in real estate for the last 14 years) and decided to consolidate our resources to build on the real estate business together," shared Leong.

While her husband was already in real estate when Leong shifted careers, she still had many challenges to overcome. But there was one thing she carries with her throughout her career - her network. When shifting careers, your invaluable network of friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, and business contacts can provide much needed support in areas which you may not have expected.

"I was very new in real estate and did not have any customers to work on. However, a friend kindly reached out to me and wanted me to help her in her home search. She trusted me even though she knew I was still green and bought a unit under my recommendation," shared Leong.

This promising start was monumental for Leong. It was her first official deal as a property agent, and it empowered her to continue along the path.

"From there on, I started to gain confidence and started to meet more people and closed more deals. I am happy to say that the property she bought has given her a return on investment of almost 25% within a short period of time," said Leong.

Finding Mentors and Using Their Helpful Wisdom

Apart from networking, mentoring also played a part in Velisa's successful switch.

"I have a sales mentor and I looked up to her a lot. Known as a sales legend, she taught me that sales is not a career but a life skill. She showed me that there is really no income limit when it comes to sales, and it is also a career that can bring immense satisfaction both on the professional as well as the personal front," shared Leong.

"Her nuggets of wisdom bring me fresh perspectives and push me to constantly sharper my skills."

But Leong isn't just lucky to have one mentor—but two. Where her first mentor helped her in the sales department, her second mentor helped her in the industry as a whole. It was none other than her manager at work—her husband.

"He has 14 years of valuable experience in this industry, so that enables me to shortcut my learning process as he would have already spelt out potential pitfalls which I can avoid," shared Leong.

Having the Right Mentality

While networking and mentoring played a big part in helping her stand on her own two feet in the real estate industry, it's still one's mentality that will define whether you make or break your new career. For Leong, it was her rewired mindset that got her through it.

"I suppose starting afresh in any industry is always daunting because you do not know what to expect," imparted Leong. "However, if you have strong support and a "nothing to lose" attitude, things will get more manageable over time."

Juggling work life and home life was also a challenge she faced, but thankfully, her time management skills helped improve productivity and compartmentalize her many responsibilities.

"I used the pomodoro method to make myself stay focused and get my tasks on-hand done. With so many distractions around in the world we live in now, we need a system to keep us disciplined so we don't get stray away and waste time doing unproductive stuff," shared Leong.

"I also time-block my week to allocate different days and times for different tasks—e.g. mummy duties, exercise, work, meetings, family time, date night. It helps me to be able to juggle the different roles more effectively."

On Success and Career Change Advice

At this stage in her career, after achieving success on two fronts (financial planning and real estate broking), Leong shares her reflections about career paths, career changes, and achieving (and maintaining) success.

"Success is in all areas of life—career, family, health. You can't be truly successful without all three of these facts in place. I am thankful for a job that gives me the flexibility of time so I can work on my business while not missing out on the important milestones of my children," shared Leong.

Success is relative—it's not just about the awards or job titles, but the intangible things that make you happy and fulfilled.

"Be daring to try out different things. In all experiences (be it good or bad), you will learn something out of it and it's all these experiences that will help you better know what exactly you want in life," said Leong.

"Life is too short to just sit around waiting. Make every moment count and live life with no regrets."

If you're still on the fence about your own career change, take a page out of Leong's book and dare to dream and pursue your passion.

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