ADVOCATE OF GREENER HOMES

Trading in the scapel and the stethoscope for a stint in real estate may be a career switch that’s a long shot but in the case of Dr.Lee Ville, he has spinned the odds in his flavour. 

Dr. Lee Ville is a doctor who builds greener homes. After fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a doctor, he realised his true passion when he ventured into real estate. In 2003, he received his medical degree from Penang Medical College under the National University of Ireland. The turning point of his life came after he completed his housemanship when his father suggested Dr. Lee try his hand at real estate. Dr. Lee saw the vast potential in the real estate market and thought, “What have I got to lose? I can always go back to the medical profession if things don’t work out.”

That was more than a decade ago. What happened was the opposite. Things did work out, and it worked out exceptionally well. Now, Dr. Lee is Director of the New Bob Group, a prominent real estate and property development company in Penang, well known for its affordable as well as high-end residences that are built with eco-friendly features. The Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) magazine has the privillege to know this dynamic, dashing young entrepreneur and discovering what aspires him to rise above his game.

TOURING PROPERTIES DURING VACATIONS

Even at a very young age, he was exposed to the exciting world of real estate by his father. Thought a sailor, his father had bought over the real estate agency from Dr. Lee’s aunty, whose husband had passed on. His father later ventured into property development in the 1980s. Although his father initially had very little experience in real estate, he learnt the ropes quickly and built a name for himself in Penang’s competitive real estate business.

While other children were visiting theme parks and going to school holiday camps, Dr Lee’s father, took him to real estate exhibitions and property fairs. There, his young mind soaked up information about the vast world of real estate and property like a sponge. He was fascinated by the real estate world, yet he wanted to pursue his childhood ambition of becoming a doctor to help people. He decided to complete his medical degree first as he knew he had plenty of time to dabble in real estate later. So, he off to do medicine and secure his medical degree. However, like most fathers, his father expected him to do medicine and secure his medical degree. However, like most fathers, his father expected him to take over the family business, although he did not directly impose his wishes on Dr. Lee.

THE FIRST SALE

Dr. Lee’s first sale practically dropped into his lap. His family and YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman’s daughter approached Dr. Lee’s father to sell her residence in Jalan Utama, Penang and he asked Dr Lee to handle the sale. A buyer was found and the uneventful sale was finalised within two weeks, leaving both the seller and the buyer happy with the outcome. Dr Lee, having completed his first ever sale successfully, became more confident and went on to handle bigger deals.

He shares one experience that was particularly challenging, but he learnt a great deal and grew wiser as a result of this experience. He says, “It was a straightforward project. We had to build 19 factories on a plot of land. But as the project progressed, there was nothing straightforward about it. Every angle of the project came with challenges, especially when it came to dealing with people. This project is where I realised transparency and clear communication with the surrounding community is just as important as spending endless hours poring over minute details of the project. The developer was blamed for every small thing that happened, including floods that were already a regular occurrence prior to the project. I put myself in the people’s shoes and tried as much as possible to alleviate their fears. We solved their issues although some of them had nothing to do with us. By the time this project had been completed, I learnt how important it is to communicate clearly with the community surrounding us and get their cooperation, in addition to the necessary documentations. No doubt, this project was a real eye opener for me”.

One would expect Dr Lee to be appointed to his present position of Director by default as this is his family’s business, but this was not so. He joined as executive and worked his way up, proving his capability as New Bob Group Director.

AN IMPRESSIVE TRAIL OF ACHIEVEMENTS

Merely in his thirties, with youthful looks and a razor sharp mind to match, Dr Lee’s exemplary achievements are both the admiration and envy of many in the real estate and property development industry. Definitely not one to rest on his laurels, he works tirelessly to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with various real estate organisations and organise charity events for mental health awareness in Penang.

Through the years, Dr Lee has steadily built a reputation in the real estate industry, not only as a respectable real estate and property developer, but also as a capable leader. In addition to his medical degree, he knew he needed to hone his leadership skills and knowledge if he were to lead his team towards the next level of success in this challenging industry. With this in mind, he completed his Master in Business Administration (MBA) in General Management from the University of South Australia in 2010. Even before he completed his medical degree, he passed the Real Estate Auctioneer’s Certification Examination with flying colours.

Dr. Lee was never one to shirk his responsibilities and is always ready to share his expertise for the greener good. Being a Licensed Auctioneer and having conducted many auctions himself, it was no surprise when he was appointed Secretary and Treasurer of the Penang Auctioneers Association between 2007 and 2010.

He served as Honorary Secretary of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (REHDA), Penang from 2012 to 2014 and is also active in REHDA Youth. He was 2012’s REHDA Youth Chairman and Founder of this association. Many educational activities, events and awareness programmes were organized by Dr Lee and his committee for the benefit of the future leaders in the real estate industry. Among them were a series of educational tours of green buildings in Kuala Lumpur such as Bandar Utama Development Sdn Bhd’s First Avenue and Sunway Property’s Challis Damansara. There were also “The Godfather of Property Forum Series” talks by well known personalities in real estate including Tan Sri Datuk Eddy Chan (Group Managing Director of MKH Berhad, formerly known as Kajang Holdings Berhad), and Mr Lee Liam Chye (Group Executive Office of Perdana ParkCity Sdn Bhd) who shared their success stories and words of wisdom, and answered questions from young entrepreneurs eager to excel in their businesses.

Fun activities are also in the pipeline for REHDA Youth members to unwind. Dr Lee remarks, “We want REHDA Youth members to have a fantastic time too, so we will be organising a GOLF Tournament in Kuala Lumpur. This will be great activity for all the members to get together”.

Regarding his collaboration with ERA (Electronic Realty Associates), Dr Lee explains, “The ERA Real Estate Franchise is a professional and international brand that has a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region. They are number one in Singapore and Indonesia. When I joined the real estate industry, I realised there is a lot of room for improvement when it came to systems , strengthening networking among community members, and empowering the real estate community with the relevant knowledge to anticipate buyers’ present and future needs. So,  I took the initiative to speak to the management of the United States and Singapore franchises as I found they had the right tools for us to advance in the real estate industry. After much discussion, ERA Malaysia was finally formed in 2007.” Dr Lee, the founder of ERA Malaysia, is also advisor to this real estate network.

CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH

Even as a youngster, Dr Lee was a thinker and a natural leader. He says, “When I was a child, I watched one of my relatives who was a schizophrenic, struggle with the stigma of mental disease, and this affected me deeply. I decided there and then to change the mistaken perception of people who do not understand mental illness. Although I was too young to know what to do at that time, my burning determination to help people with this illness never wavered. When I finally received my medical degree, I had the knowledge and means to change what was happening and help this sadly misunderstood group of people to have a better life.” Dr Lee is also the dedicated medical advisor of D’home, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on creating and increasing awareness of mental health and providing support for families of mentally ill patients in Penang.

In conjunction with World Mental Health Day in 2010, Dr Lee organised the “Walk Into The Light” event that had the support of 300 participants. The Malaysian Government recognised Dr Lee’s contributions towards mental health and he was awarded the Pingkat Jasa Kebaktian(PJK) from the Penang State Governor in 2007. Later, in 2013, he received another medal, the Pingkat Kelakuan Terpuji (PKT), also from the Penang State Governor.

THE EPITOME OF SUCCESS

Very few youths can achieve what has been accomplished by Dr. Lee. The New Bob Group’s The Manor was the first local project to win a Platinum Award from GreenRE (the Malaysian standard for green buildings) and the BCA Green Mark Gold Plus Award (Singapore’s standard for green buildings that are more stringent) from Singapore’s Ministry of National Development. The Preston Oaks Project also received a Gold Project Award by GreenRE and a BCA Green Mark Gold Award. Dr Lee’s main objective in building green developments is for the benefit of our future generations.

He reveals, “Global resources are becoming scarce, therefore it is our responsibility to protect, preserve and conserve our natural resources for them to be available in the future. As for New Bob, we use materials that are environmentally friendly and incorporate green features such as solar panels and rainwater catchments that are built into the design of the home itself. We hope by delivering eco-friendly, sustainable developments, we will be able to influence our clients to become more aware of our environment and take steps to protect our surroundings and natural resources. Our clients  will soon realise green homes are more affordable, comfortable and more energy efficient compared to non-green ones”.

Despite all his successes, Dr Lee is a down to earth person who adores his family and enjoys the simple things in life. He finds golf therapeutic while reading fiction relaxes him.

As for young entrepreneurs who wish to enter the real estate industry, his advice is, “Go as far as you can see. When you get there, you’ll be able to see farther. I know it sounds cliche, but dare to dream. Everything starts with a dream. Our business started with our dream of helping people find their ideal properties. This year, the New Bob Group celebrates our 56th anniversary, thanks to all our clients who supported us all these years”.

MIM wishes the New Bob Group Happy Anniversary and continued success in their future developments. Find out more about Dr Lee, the New Bob Group and their sustainable developments here: www.newbobgroup.com.