Yang Po Tan, 51, is from Singapore. She started her property investment business, Aquaint Capital Holdings, in 2009. Aquaint Capital Holdings is an Australian ASX-listed global property investment company, with a core focus on the investment and management of commercial and residential property across Europe, Asia and the USA. Acquaint’s business model comprises three synergistic businesses – Aquaint Capital, Aquaint Property and Azeana.
Starting the Business
Q: Where did the idea for your business come from? Where were you in your life and career?
A: A good challenge is something I enjoy immensely and which has helped me develop and grow both professionally and personally over the years.
When I was appointed as the Managing Director at Yves Saint Laurent, I felt I had reached the top in my corporate career, and hungry for the next challenge, I thought being an entrepreneur would be a good next step.
I was very fortunate to be then approached by successful entrepreneur Richard Tan of Asia’s largest seminar company, Success Resources, who asked me to help run his young online learning portal.
I thought this was a great opportunity to learn alongside a successful entrepreneur and embraced the challenge which resulted in growing the business from US$3m to US$128m with a network of 55 countries.
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting out?
A: The biggest challenge when I first started was building credibility. With property seen as a huge investment, people tend to be cautious about who they listen to. Establishing credibility is crucial in this sector.
Q: What is the one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started the business?
A: Understanding that having a fund will help speed up property investment. When we first established Aquaint, we didn’t have one. In May 2013, we acquired a fund (now called Aquaint Income Fund), which will play a very important role in Aquaint’s growth, enabling the company to expedite future property investment.
Q: What would you consider your first big success in the business?
A: It was a property in London where we managed to invest at 20 per cent below market value in what was an already distressed market (the property sector had, at that time, dropped about 20 per cent from its peak).
This helped position the company in investors’ eyes as being capable of sourcing similar opportunities that would help in delivering better returns.
Q: What is the toughest thing about getting to the top / staying on top in your industry specifically?
A: The biggest challenge is constant growth. Once you get to the top, the challenge is to take the business to the next level.
For example, Aquaint has established a reputation amongst property enthusiasts in the Singapore and Malaysia property market. Now that the company is listed on the Australian stock market, the challenge is to ensure we are known to a wider circle of people who are not just property enthusiasts, but the institutions and the wider public that might be interested in investing in Aquaint.
The Future
Q: Where do you see your industry heading in the next 5 years?
A: As the industry grows, I think more and more individuals will step up to invest in commercial property – such as budget hotels and small offices or retail outfits – rather than just residential property. I believe this will be driven by investors having easier access via the Internet to information and property education
Q: What do you plan on doing / changing in order to keep growing in this time period?
A: Aquaint intends to grow its established Fund arm and potentially set up a REITs (real estate investment trust) so that smaller investors can participate in the Company’s investments.
Q: What does ultimate success look like to you? How will you know when you’ve achieved it?
A: The much longer-term vision is to be like Berkshire Hathaway where Warren Buffet takes his group of loyal investors on a journey that is supported with positivity and encouragement, which is ultimately reflected in his company’s world renowned Annual General Meetings.
Q: What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing entrepreneurs in the near future?
A: I believe competition will increase sharply with more and more entrepreneurs entering the market. So the company that keeps growing and innovating will stand above the rest.
Q: What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in your industry and wanting to make it to the top?
A: Keep learning, growing and innovating to stay relevant.