THE way Marcus Chu talks about them, you would think ERA Realty’s agents sell financial products rather than properties. They do not, of course, but with a home ownership rate of 88.9 per cent in Singapore, it’s clear why building wealth through property is a skill Chu is keen for the company’s agents to hone.

The chief executive of real estate services provider Apac Realty : CLN 0%, which operates the ERA brand in Singapore and Asia-Pacific, Chu is a consummate marketer who peppers his answers with rhetorical questions. In an interview with The Business Times, he says he is determined to beef up his sales force through training and digital technologies.

The training programmes ERA offers agents carry names such as “Ultimate Agent Training”, “Wealth Creation Masterclass” and “Ultimate Transformation Leadership Camp”, all of which are meant to hone their hard and soft skills in closing property deals.