Azmi & Co Sabah celebrated their top achievers of 2017 during their annual meeting held right at the close of 2017. We took this opportunity to pick the brains of these elites regarding life as a negotiator/agent as well as their thoughts on the property market.

Celine Teah Specialty: Mid to high-end rentals, dealing with expats and locals Things that make a successful negotiator/agent: Be honest to your company, be honest to your clients and be honest to yourself. Most memorable deal: One of the deals I remember the most is a prime bungalow in Signal Hill Park that I sold for RM5.4 million. I faced a lot of challenges in the negotiation process, up to where small things like internet coverage threatened to call off the deal. However, I'm not one to give up and is always searching for the best solution for both seller and buyer. I enjoy and appreciate the good and bad of the journey. Thoughts on the market in 2018: It is unlikely the property market in Kota Kinabalu will have a terrible hit. According to the facts and figures of 2017, it doesn't indicate a negative outlook. There are still good properties that have good returns especially those located in hot locations and those below RM500,000.

Jamie Myra Tong Specialty: High-end residential, dealing with expats Things that make a successful negotiator/agent: Understanding the customers' needs and doing your homework to have information readily available quickly and accurately. Most importantly, to always present yourself when needed. Plans for the future and things to improve: Achieve higher goals and meeting more targets. Cooperation between colleagues and working together as a team is important and I would like to have everyone in the team assisting one another more and achieving goals together. Everyone should feel encouraged by the success of others. That shows that the system works and we're moving in the right direction. Most memorable deal: I think I made a good impression that resulted in me growing my list of return customers. There was a particular customer that I managed to close a number of deals within a short period of time. I guess that person must really have trusted in me and we became closer because of this.

Lulu Chin Specialty: Low to mid-end residential, rental and sales Things that make a successful negotiator/agent: I can't say I'm a successful negotiator, there is still space to improve but I love my job and enjoy doing every task of my daily work. Good results will come as long as you put in the effort. Plans for the future and things to improve: No big plans. I just do my part to the best of my abilities and leave what I can't control up to God. I'm feeling happy and satisfied to be one of the Gold Achievers and looking forward to providing better service to my clients. Advice to new negotiators: You must love what you are doing and equip yourself with knowledge. You must be committed, honest and full of enthusiasm.

Kelly Lioo Specialty: Mid to high-end residential and commercial, rental and sales Things that make a successful negotiator/agent: You must be proactive and responsible for the sales and after-sales service, you must also be equipped with the relevant knowledge. You need to do a lot of follow-ups and must be willing to take the responsibility to find solutions to any problem. On top of that, you must be very patient, as there are times when we need to deal with demanding clients. Most memorable deal: A few years ago, I closed a 4-storey shop lot purchase deal in just 30 minutes. I have also closed a number of deals without actually knowing where the properties were as the purchasers trust these locations. They didn't ask even about the details. Regarding the market in 2018: Despite the fact that there is a slowdown in the market, I still believe I can manage through this challenging period with the extensive customer database that I have built up over the years.

Bonnie Hong Specialty: Mid to high-end residential, local and foreign buyers Things that make a successful negotiator/agent: For me the main things would be: Hardworking, strong network, pleasant, resourceful and a bit of luck. Most memorable deal: Most of my deals are lightning fast mainly due to the 5 things I mentioned. However, the deals I remember the most are those that I close after many many months, which require persistence. Regarding the market in 2018: Top negotiators will continue to work hard and continue building their network to overcome any slowdown.