Double triumph

Top graduate Alice Tan of Class of 2012's NUS Master of Science (Real Estate) gives her take on the course

By Michelle Chin

Jan 6, 2020

A Master of Science (Real Estate) degree from the NUS School of Design and Environment helped Miss Alice Tan make a successful switch from the construction industry to real estate research and consultancy.

She was a top graduate of the NUS Class of 2012 Master of Science (Real Estate), an achievement which earned her a gold medal from the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (Redas).

The 39-year-old is now a senior director at the research and consulting department at property consultancy Edmund Tie & Co, an established homegrown practice founded in 1995.

Q: What do you do in your current job?

A: I do real estate analysis and provide market insights for local and regional property markets in the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors.

I provide feasibility studies, performance analysis, advisory in real estate development strategies and asset enhancement initiatives.

Before my career switch, I was in the construction industry doing procurement, technical due diligence and construction market research. My previous qualification was a Bachelor of Science (Building) from NUS.

Q: How did the postgraduate qualification help you switch careers?

A: After nine years mainly in the construction industry, I desired to be in the real estate discipline and began to learn the ropes of what makes real estate development possible — financing, feasibility and functionality.

The skills I learnt from the master’s degree, such as valuation, real estate development strategies, financial concepts, legal issues and institutional urban planning, are valuable.

For example, now armed with valuation techniques of estimating development costs and revenue for various property development types, I can assess potential property values and returns and advise clients who want to bid for land and acquire property.

The property law module taught me legal issues surrounding acquisition, project development and ownership of properties in Singapore. I can now advise potential property investors, especially those new to Singapore’s property requirements.

Q: Do you have advice for those looking to pursue postgraduate studies?

A: Find an industry where your interests and skills can be nurtured and unleashed. Chart your education and build your professional networks.

Markets change rapidly, so develop yourself in the industry where you will find joy through your interests.