Niche expertise and industry skills drive SN Real Estate forward

Sarah Ng, the key executive officer of SN Real Estate, is well-versed in the local commercial and industrial market. With over 15 years of experience, she has built strong relationships with developers, business owners and asset managers, establishing herself as a leading professional in this niche sector. Today, she leads a skilled team of like-minded agents at the agency, trained to serve a diverse range of clients and stakeholders across various industries. “We are a people-centric business and our agents share a common belief that each engagement with a client is grounded in professionalism, trust and a desire to create win-win solutions. This paves the way to lasting, respectful business relationships,” says Ng. SN Real Estate is a privately owned local firm recognised as a niche player with one of the largest teams of industrial and commercial realtors. It deals directly with business owners, developers, landlords and asset owners in the industrial property market. With over 130 real estate agents, the company frequently secures exclusive marketing contracts for new projects, resales and leasing opportunities. “Our agents set themselves apart from the competition by possessing in-depth, behind-the-scenes knowledge of the specific needs and requirements of various businesses and manufacturing activities in Singapore,” says Ng. She adds that the agency has a successful track record serving a range of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as multi-national corporations (MNCs). The firm has successfully closed property deals totalling over $1 billion and serves a diverse range of clients that includes light and heavy industrial businesses, dormitories, warehouses, food factories, open yards, retail spaces and commercial offices. For example, SN Real Estate recently assisted a local manufacturing business in achieving over 30% savings on its annual real estate costs. Ng notes that the business owner initially approached her to lease multiple industrial spaces while collaborating with a third-party logistics partner. “We had a very good business relationship as a result and it helped me understand the challenges and high costs they faced. I presented a convincing business case that consolidating the owner’s manufacturing spaces into a single location would be better for the business in the long run,” says Ng. After a three-month consolidation process, she secured a B2 industrial property for the owner to centralise operations, complete with essential 40ft container access.

End-to-end investment services

SN Real Estate also advises a range of investors, from retail investors who would like to diversify their portfolio with industrial properties to multi-million-dollar asset owners and investment managers. Unlike business owners and tenants, investors come with their own set of priorities and investment goals. This includes a high-yielding portfolio of assets, capital appreciation, positive cash flow and low capital outlay, says Ng. She has helped numerous first-time retail investors transition from the residential market to explore opportunities in industrial property investment. She adds that many local investors have been put off by the high ABSD rates in the residential market, especially after successive rounds of property cooling measures over the years. “We understand that entering a new market can feel daunting and overwhelming at the start. This is why we emphasise educating our clients and really understanding their investment goals, motivations and risk appetite,” says Ng. She adds that new investors are often unsure about the 30-year land tenure that is characteristic in the industrial market, but she advises that this also presents attractive exit strategies. Additionally, Singapore’s industrial property sector has shown resilience in its real estate market, largely due to the country’s status as a regional hub for commerce and industry. While successive cooling measures have affected investment yields in the residential market, Ng observes that well-planned industrial investment portfolios in Singapore typically achieve yields of 5% to 8%. “Increasingly, investors have found industrial assets to be more attractive compared to residential units. Due to the high cost of relocation, industrial and commercial tenancies tend to be longer and tenants are less inclined to relocate as it is disruptive to their business,” she continues, adding that this fits in well with investors who are looking for stable investment properties. Transaction data also shows that industrial assets rake in a higher return on equity (ROE) compared to residential properties and Ng says that most of her clients see an ROE between 60% and 100%. “It is also attractive that the initial capital outlay of investment is relatively low and most retail investors can start investing with just $200,000”.

The go-to agency

Over the past four years, Ng has transformed SN Real Estate from an up-and-coming consultancy into one of the leading industrial and commercial niche consultancies. She remains driven and intends to position the business ahead of its competitors. “We believe that SN Real Estate has what it takes to be the go-to agency operating in Singapore’s industrial and commercial property markets,” says Ng. She aims to increase the number of agents significantly and welcomes both experienced professionals and newcomers to join the team. “With a larger agent base, SN Real Estate would be able to support more exclusive marketing contracts and help developers and landlords sell out projects more quickly,” she says. Typically, the firm manages five to six exclusive project marketing contracts. Ng adds: “We are a team of go-getters, and our management ensures that there will always be new projects for our agents to market. Our agents will also have plenty of opportunities to deepen their skills and knowledge across niche industrial segments, continuously expanding their expertise and staying ahead in a competitive market.”