To sell property in a tough market, map the four people who influence every deal, ask the right questions before you pitch, and guide buyers step by step from first visit to signed SPA. Pushing harder rarely works. Buyers who feel understood, and safe, are the ones who commit.
That was the message from sales coach Vicks Kanagasingam in the first episode of MHub Direct Access, hosted by MHub co-founder Jason Ding. Vicks has led commercial teams across Asia-Pacific for over 30 years. As CEO of Xperanti, he built and coached a team that grew the order book to RM12M+ in year one and RM28M+ in year two.
Here are the frameworks he shared, and how property developers and sales agents in Malaysia can use them.
Why is a tough market a constant?
A tough market is the norm, not the exception, so it can't be the excuse. "Every year, when someone tells me the market is tough, I say listen, I hear it all the time," Vicks said.
The numbers back him up. According to REHDA's latest Property Industry Survey, 59% of developers are sitting on unsold completed units. Leads are still coming in, but bookings are slower.
Budget 2027 helps buyers more than developers. First-time buyers get stamp duty relief on homes up to RM750,000 and RM20 billion in SJKP loan guarantees, while the cost relief REHDA asked for was not included. That leaves one lever developers fully control: how they sell. Read more in What Budget 2027 means for property developers.
Who really decides a property purchase?
Four roles shape almost every property purchase, and the person in front of you is rarely all four. Vicks calls this the Real Estate Sales Quadrant. Agents who map and engage all four make their deals far more predictable.
| Role | Who they are | What they care about | Residential example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | The internal champion or influencer | Guiding the decision, often quietly | A parent funding a first home, or the buyer's own agent |
| Evaluator | The technical or legal filter | Risk, compliance, the developer's track record | The buyer asking about future developments, roads and schools nearby |
| User | The person who will live there | Lifestyle and daily pain points | The spouse checking the kitchen, or rooms for the kids |
| Finance | The buyer, investor or CFO | Budget, loan, deposit and payment terms | Whoever handles the bank and the down payment |
One person can play two, three or all four roles. In commercial deals, the roles spread out: a facility manager as the User, the CFO as Finance, legal counsel as the Evaluator.
The practical lesson: when a buyer hesitates, ask yourself which role you haven't spoken to yet.
What should you ask a buyer before you pitch?
Start with light, genuine questions, and save the brochure for later. "Especially in a tough market, nobody wants to be sold straight away," Vicks said. "They want you to understand their pain points."
His method, which he calls Listen with Intent, runs in four steps:
- Understand. How do they live today, and who makes the final decision? Ask where they live and how they get to work.
- Go deeper. Why does their current home no longer work? Maybe the commute, the space, or high maintenance. Don't judge their answers.
- Find the priority. What else are they considering, and who owns the decision? Don't jump in with a solution yet.
- Validate. What does staying put cost them, and why does the timeline matter? This is where you check for real urgency.
Only then do you present options. Vicks's advice: walk in with a set of possible solutions, not one unit to push. If the timing doesn't match, offer an alternative unit, or an interim rental until the right one is ready.
How do you handle "wait and see" buyers?
Take their worry seriously, then separate the worry from the choice. "Do not dismiss the problem," Vicks said. "A lot of times agents say, oh, don't worry about the economy." That makes buyers feel unheard, and they walk.
Instead:
- Ask what's behind the hesitation. Budget, loan approval or job security are the usual reasons.
- Set the worry aside for a moment. Vicks's question: "If everything was fine, which unit would you buy?"
- Lock in the choice. Once they've picked a unit, the decision is about timing, not interest.
- Offer a way forward. For example, a booking that gives them time to sort out the loan or their job situation.
This works because it removes risk instead of adding pressure. A hesitant buyer isn't waiting for a better deal. They're afraid of making the wrong decision.
What is Victory Mapping in property sales?
Victory Mapping is Vicks's five-stage sales journey, and the victory belongs to the client, not the salesperson. "The client should feel, I won something," he said. "I bought something because I want it."
| Stage | What happens | What the agent does |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery | The buyer's problem and motivation come out | Listen, map the four roles |
| 2. Qualifying | Criteria and decision-makers are confirmed | Match the right units, check finance early |
| 3. Qualified | Options are presented and viewed | Show a shortlist, not the whole price list |
| 4. Committed | A deposit is paid and terms agreed | Keep the buyer confident through the paperwork |
| 5. Award | The SPA is signed and the loan approved | Stay in touch through to vacant possession |
The mistake most agents make is trying to rush all five stages into one meeting. The fix is to move the buyer one step at a time, and to stay close after the sale. "Don't forget the client," Vicks said. Being there at vacant possession is where referrals come from.
The best and worst sales agents Vicks has met
- The best: Betty, the agent who sold Vicks his own home. She brought snacks for his kids, spotted that his wife was the real decision-maker for the home itself, knew the loan process as well as the units, and followed up until the loan came through. He went on to refer her to many people.
- The worst: an agent who told him, "We've only got 10 more units available." Vicks realised he was being forced to buy, and walked away.
Will AI replace property sales agents?
No, but agents who use AI well will outperform those who don't. "Nobody will buy a house talking to an AI agent," Vicks said. A purchase this big still needs a person the buyer trusts.
What AI changes is preparation. Buyers now arrive having researched projects, prices and financing, so agents need to know finance and legal basics too. Vicks's example: upload the Budget 2027 document into an AI tool and ask what a property sales agent should know, so a buyer never catches you unprepared.
His three habits for using AI:
- Use two or three AI tools, not one. Each gives a different perspective.
- Write prompts with context. Explain the what, why and how, and give the AI an expert role, such as "an experienced property sales agent with 30 years in luxury homes".
- Never copy and paste. Use the answer as input, then apply your own judgement.
His ask of Malaysian sales agents: "Don't think local, think global."
What makes the best property sales agents?
The best sales agents are the most coachable. "If you want to be the best sales agent, you must be coachable," Vicks said, and that applies to sales leaders too.
| Coachable agents | Uncoachable agents |
|---|---|
| Stay curious: "tell me more" | Think they already know everything |
| Listen to the end | Interrupt with a solution |
| Accept feedback | Judge the buyer, or the coach |
| Keep learning, including new tools | Rely on what worked years ago |
For sales managers, the same rule applies one level up. Lead by example, show your team how to sell, and give them the right tools, rather than shouting. "You're not managing them, you're leading them," Vicks said. Selling is a skill, and skills are built through coaching on the ground.
How can developers put this into practice?
The frameworks work best when the whole sales team follows them the same way, every time. That needs a shared view of every lead, booking and loan, so agents can see where each buyer is in the journey and follow up at the right moment.
8 in 10 new property launches in Malaysia run on MHub. MHub supports property developers across the full sales journey, from first lead to booking, loan and vacant possession, so the steps Vicks describes can be tracked rather than left to memory.
Watch the full episode
About Vicks Kanagasingam
Vicks Kanagasingam is a sales coach and the CEO of Xperanti, with more than 30 years leading commercial teams across Asia-Pacific. He built and coached a team that grew its order book to RM12M+ in year one and RM28M+ in year two, and he now helps businesses make their sales predictable and repeatable. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
