From Humble Beginnings as a Newspaper Boy to the Helm of PropNex

From humble beginnings as a newspaper boy to the helm of PropNex, Singapore's leading real estate group, Ismail Gafoor's trajectory in the industry is nothing short of remarkable. Commencing his journey at the age of 32, he was driven by a vision to empower others by sharing strategies for wealth creation through real estate.

By this juncture, Ismail had upgraded from a modest three-room HDB flat to residences in Normanton Park and, ultimately, a terrace house.

Ismail shared, “I want people to benefit just as I benefitted (from real estate)… I desired to have a better home, and I achieved that. I believe this is a dream people deserve, to build wealth through real estate.”

Presently, PropNex stands as Singapore's largest listed real estate group, boasting a formidable team of over 12,000 salespersons and a market capitalization surpassing S$650 million. The agency has a 65% share of the HDB resale market and 60% of private resale market.

The group's exponential growth has propelled it to the forefront of recognized brands in Singapore, extending its influence with a regional footprint spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and most recently, Australia.

What makes PropNex successful in today’s market

Ismail shares what makes PropNex different from the crowd and why it is able to draw thousands under its wing, “…it’s hard to copy our culture which is about respecting people and sharing. We tell our people that you can only be successful when you make others successful. That’s one reason we’re able to retain people and grow; people want to learn from us.”

Next Generation Leaders for the Next Generation of PropNexians

The firm also recently announced the appointment of Kelvin Fong as deputy chief executive. Five agency team leaders were promoted to agency vice presidents.

Ismail shared, “A business is about appointing the right person to lead; that’s the only way the interests of people are taken care of. Many companies fall because they don’t have a structured process to nurture the best talent and to enable people to rise up the ladder.”

In its future trajectory, PropNex aspires to build a salesforce of 15,000, positioning the agency with a 50% stake in the total count of registered salespersons in Singapore.