新加坡

He's no stranger to slogging, having put himself through school by taking on odd jobsHard work and long hours were part and parcel of Mr Benson Fong's life from his late teens so the taxing demands of being a property agent did not bother him a bit.迷你倉The 16-hour days he used to clock up as a youngster left him with the ideal work ethic to thrive in real estate. In fact, he was able to double his annual income and contribute to the family's finances after switching from a job in the corporate world.But Malaysian-born Mr Fong, 32, did not have a smooth ride to property success.He first came to Singapore in 1993 to get an English-based education. His family relocated here several years later to give his brothers similar educational opportunities.His dad, a carpenter, was the sole breadwinner. So when the eldest of four sons turned 18, he worked every weekend at a bubble tea shop or sold vacuum cleaners to earn pocket money.His education was a slog as well, partly because he found himself fighting the stigma some have attached to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE)."Many people said the ITE stood for It's The End," says Mr Fong, who graduated from the institute in 2002. "But I knew that getting the necessary paper qualifications will help me provide for my family."He took night classes to earn a diploma on top of his ITE certificate, paying for it with various jobs."Whatever I didn't spend, I saved, which came in handy when I eventually pursued my part-time degree," he adds.After two years of national service, Mr Fong landed a nine-to-five job at a multinational corporation doing procurement work for electronic components in 2004. That same year, he pursued a part-time degree in engineering.But 2008 was a turning point for the Fongs when his mum was diagnosed with cancer. The family's savings were wiped out and he had to defer his part-time undergraduate classes for two years."I wanted to make more money, yet also have a job which had flexible hours so I could spend more time with my mum," he says.While talking to a friend at a coffee shop one evening, the surrounding HDB flats gave him the idea of becoming a property agent.In late 2010, Mr Fong gave up his office job and focused on renting and selling HDB flats. In the light of the recent rounds of property cooling measures and loan restrictions, he said he would just have to work harder to reach out to home buyers and sellers."Many people think that you can't be success儲存ul if you end up at the ITE, but that is not true as long as you don't give up and keep trying," says Mr Fong.Q: Are you a spender or a saver?I'm a saver. I spend about 30 per cent of my salary on work-related expenses and my family. My biggest-ticket expense would be taking my family on a two-week holiday. Last year, it cost me about $10,000 for the six of us.Q: How much do you charge to your credit cards every month?On average, about $2,500 to my two credit cards. The bulk of it goes to my real estate advertisement expenses and petrol.Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?I intend to save as much as possible in my thirties and look out for real estate investment opportunities. Rentals can be used to service the loan and be a source of potential investment income in future.I also bought several health and mortgage insurance policies. The latter ensures that the monthly instalments will be taken care of in the event that anything untoward happens to me.Q: Moneywise, what were your growing up years like?I was born in Ipoh, Malaysia, and first came to Singapore when I was 12. I'd commute to and fro from Johor Baru till I was 15 and lived on a daily allowance of $2.When I started working part-time at 18 in Singapore, my dad continued paying my ITE school fees so I had a chance to grow my savings.Q: How did you get interested in investing?My dad has been my inspiration when it comes to financial planning for my loved ones.He bought a few commercial land plots and units in Ipoh and Johor Baru many years ago at a good price. He taught me about investing in a tangible asset rather than one on paper.Q: What property do you own?In 2011, I bought my mum a two-bedder, 900 sq ft condo unit in Pasir Ris for more than $700,000. We rented out the unit almost immediately and the rent covers the monthly mortgage payments as well as maintenance and conservancy charges.That same year, I applied for a four-room Build-To-Order flat with my fiancee and intend to move my family there when it is ready.Q: What is the most extravagant thing you have bought?A second-hand car which cost about $60,000 last year and had five years left on its certificate of entitlement.Q: Home is now...A three-room 731 sq ft flat in Marsiling where I live with my parents and three younger brothers.Q: I drive...A second-hand black Honda Civic which I use for work when meeting clients, or to ferry my family out for meals over the weekend.rjscully@sph.com.sg迷你倉