To stay confident in tough economic times, real estate consultant and motivational speaker Mic Chan maintains that one must view wealth as an attitude. He believes in the adage that people become rich because they decide to be rich.

In the past three years, Chan has been prospering through real estate projects. He began his career at age 23 in 2006 as a sales agent for a prominent developer. Putting in the extra hours, he became a consistent top earner. "I was a rookie selling a record P40 million in a month. After a year, I raked in a total of P100 million and was promoted to assistant sales manager," he recalls.

With enough experience and funding, Chan, then 26 years old, founded his own company, REM Business Consultancy.

Chan made waves with his self-published book "The Adventure Millionaire" in 2019. He says the training for extreme sports is akin to creating abundance. His ascent to Everest Base Camp in Kathmandu, Nepal showed him how intention and preparation facilitated possibilities.

"When you climb a mountain like Everest, you need to condition your mind and body, and pack the right clothes. The weather keeps changing every hour. One moment, the sun is out. The next moment, it's cold so you need to bundle up. In life, anticipate and be thoroughly prepared for all your undertakings," says Chan.

Likewise, he cites that the discipline in endurance sports is the same as in sales. "When you practice for the triathlon, you wake up early and work out daily. Starting my career in 2006, I woke up at 6 a.m. to go to BGC and arrived home in Malabon at midnight every day. I was so engrossed with events that I missed family events. Every 1 November, I would be working at the office. I once closed a P16 million-deal for a three-bedroom condo on that holiday," he says.

Chan would get his adrenaline pumping from skydiving. "The freefall takes you out of your comfort zone. When you feel you're not progressing at work, perhaps you should take risks."

At 26, Chan took the risk by leaving his company and striking on his own. Aside from his net worth and network of contacts, he felt confident about his inner resources — his creativity and sales skills.
He changed his strategy by tapping the secondary market, reselling other people's condos and properties, and getting a generous commission. As he gained clients, his business grew and it afforded him to travel to over 30 countries. Aside from physical income, he earned the respect from the real estate industry that bigtime developers such as Federal Land, SMDC, Megaworld and Rockwell invited him to be a coach. Sales agents who followed his advice became directors and vice-presidents.

Since the pandemic, the demand for outdoor experiences and waterfront accommodations for remote workers grew. Chan and business partner, architect Philipp Inno put up Bloc Camp Site, a glamping community in Cavinti, Laguna. The lakeside development features prefabricated houses. Last year, the second phase, Rest-T House was completed in six months. The houses were sold out in three months.

Chan says his intention wasn't about profit. He saw Inno's innovative plan of putting up compact prefab houses that were close to nature. Chan gave the builder the funding. The developments have since been prospering.

Solve problems, create wealth
"You can create wealth when you solve people's problems like having a house that's designed for work from home," he says.

When producer, DJ and media creative Mark Mendoza interviewed him for "Diskarte with Mendy" in Spotify, Chan saw the potential for educating a target audience. "He interviewed entrepreneurs who shared tips on business and finance. I want to help create businesses by empowering people to become entrepreneurs."

Chan advised Mendoza to get out of his comfort zone by venturing into YouTube. "The print media is becoming obsolete. Everyone is glued to their phones. We need to pivot to the digital medium to reach out to more people," says Chan. "I advised Mark to produce content for budding business leaders and start-ups."

This year, they formed a production company, Oddball Media, which creates branding strategies and videos for this niche.

Still, Chan's heart returns to real estate. As people saw the convenience of remote working, the demand for beachfront properties and out-of-town homes surged. Chan recently sold 13 properties in Baler, Boracay and Palawan. "People want space, nature and good WiFi while earning money," he observes. "I study where the money flows. If I can't see any prospect, I don't pursue. Before investing, examine the growth potential."

Chan's success formula is no secret: When we acknowledge our special talent, we can use this energy to create opportunities, or even better, abundance.