Marko and Friends: From property ownership to wealth building
Many things can be said about our bustling citystate, but for property investors Marko and Friends what stands out is Singapore’s political stability that has been one of the building blocks of their success.
“We’re lucky to live in Singapore where things are generally predictable,” Marko, founder of the eponymous Marko and Friends, reflects. “This means that rules and laws are transparent, which makes buying, owning and renting properties a viable source of investment and income.”
Marko’s journey from being a dissatisfied, wage-earning engineer to becoming a remarkable coach, mentor to others and a owner of multiple properties is not just a personal success story; it is an inspiring testament to the power of strategic investing and the desire to share that knowledge with as many people who need the help and guidance. What started out as a single man’s relentless pursuit of a better way of earning income has become a beacon of hope for those seeking to achieve financial independence through property investment.
Humble beginnings, proud aspirations
Marko started out as a trained engineer who owned a company developing robots, involved in the making of refrigerators, ovens, Walkman players, hard discs and pagers — technologies that, while once revolutionary, were quickly becoming obsolete. As he witnessed his peers from a similar engineering background gradually being replaced by younger and more tech-savvy specialists who were more adept at working with emerging technologies, Marko knew that he had to escape this dead-end route.
Despite owning his business, it was not highly profitable and Marko was not what he would term as “well-off”. He couldn’t help but notice a significant financial burden. Each month, he still had to pay the rent for his factory to Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) which owned the building his company operated from. It was during this period of uncertainty that he had an epiphany: factory ownership represented a rock-solid investment. Unlike many other investments, owning a factory would never go out of business or lose its income potential.
“I then vowed to myself that, as soon as I could afford it, I would invest in a factory,” recalls Marko. “Then I would rent it out and collect monthly earnings.” This decision would eventually set the course for his future in property investment.
Building the foundation
Marko’s venture into property investment was not an overnight success. He began by investing in underappreciated properties, slowly formulating his unique method of property investment. Throughout this time, he continued to work as an engineer, using his salary to fund his investments.
In the early days, there was a lot of uncertainty, shares his wife Jill, who has been his pillar of support since Day 1.
“It was a scary time,” says Jill. “I didn’t know if his plans would work out for us.”
What convinced her to trust in her husband was her past experience that Marko had always come through for her. Whatever he said he would do, he had achieved.
“I remember driving on an expressway with him in the car and we passed by a HDB flat with a ‘penthouse’ on the top floor,” reminisces Jill. “I told Marko how nice it would be to be able to live in such a place!”
Not only did Marko end up purchasing the unit, they lived in it for about 10 years before moving on to own and stay in bigger and better places!
Sharing knowledge
As Marko started to experience success in the property investment world, he decided to share his knowledge with a small group of interested individuals. At the start, he conducted classes in the homes of his students for free. Marko was passionate about helping others achieve financial stability and independence through property investment.
At the time, Marko still had his engineering day job, although he was already earning a substantial income from owning multiple properties. Eventually, he reached a turning point when he realised that more people needed to know about the open secret of property investment and his successful methods. The only way he could help those who were struggling as he once did was to go all in and focus on teaching full-time.
This realisation led him to make a life-altering decision: he quit his engineering job to focus on spreading his investment methods. Later, his partners Louisa and <> would do the same. As owners of multiple properties, losing income was not a deterrent and it was easy for them to make the leap into running the business of spreading their investment strategy.
Birth of a unique business
With the goal of reaching a wider audience, Marko and his three partners established a business to teach their investment methods. The fees they charged — $10,000 per person — were reinvested back into the business, covering expenses such as social media marketing, venue rentals, and other operational costs.
“The beauty of this business is that I don’t need to earn from it,” Marko says. “My earnings come from collecting rent on my properties and my wealth is from owning these assets.
“I don’t even make transport claims or other expenses to the business!”
Thus, they could stay true to their mission to make property investment accessible to as many people as possible. Also, unlike property agents, they were in a unique position to give their opinions on property ownership as investors who have navigated the same path their students were on.
“I don’t earn any commissions from my students because I am not an agent selling them properties,” explains Marko. “Thus I am not biased or obligated to any particular property, new launch or old.”
Being able to stay neutral and objective while taking up to a year or more to guide his students on his tried-and-tested methods is the unique selling point of his business, the reason they can command such high fees, says Marko.
Quest for continuous improvement
As business-owners, mentors and investment coaches, Marko and his friends do not rest on their laurels even though they have effectively acquired financial freedom that is desired by many.
Being committed to making their investment methods more robust and relevant, they are constantly upskilling themselves by attending various trainings and talks all over the world, seeking wisdom from speakers and coaches worldwide. Their areas of focus are not just on finance and real estate, but also on personal development, life coaching and motivation, ensuring that they can holistically provide the best possible guidance to their students.
“We travelled to Florida and San Diego [for some events],” Marko shares. “The first event is to learn techniques and methods from property investors. The second is an event to learn about being happy.”
He believes that making money and bringing happiness are two things that can and should go hand in hand in order to make the world a better place.
“It’s easier to do good if you’re rich,” he states candidly.
Changing lives, one property at a time
It’s quite apparent that Marko does not just think of himself as a successful property investor; he’s a mentor who derives immense satisfaction from seeing his students succeed. Many of them have gone on to become multiple property owners and landlords themselves. In doing so, their lives have changed for the better, as financial freedom and stability have brought newfound happiness and opportunities.
Marko has even helped families who were once headed for bankruptcy and married couples on the brink of divorce due to financial struggles.
“When you no longer have to worry about money, you can focus on being loving to each other,” explains Marko.
As a person whose wealth is stable and multiplying, Marko firmly believes in giving back to society and doing sustainable acts of charity. While he and his community of students are continually engaging in various donation drives, his current goal is to work towards acquiring 100 freehold properties, which he hopes to inspire his community to buy and donate to various charities.
“Often, people give money to charity but eventually the amount donated will run out,” he tells us. “If they donate freehold property, the charities can then rent it out.”
This generous act will then ensure that these charities have a perpetual source of income to support their noble causes. While purchasing a freehold property for oneself already sounds like a tall order, to be wealthy enough to then give it away is another level of generosity altogether; but that is the sandbox that Marko is playing in.
Through dedication, education, and the pursuit of their passion, Marko and Friends has created a ripple effect of positive change, helping individuals and charities alike. Their existence serves as an inspiration that with the right knowledge, determination, and a giving spirit, financial independence and the ability to make a lasting impact on the world can and do go hand in hand.