The Real DEAL
The CEO Magazine - ANZ|March 2020
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY IN SYDNEY IS A COMPETITIVE, MAYBE EVEN CUTTHROAT ONE. WHEN YOU’RE A WOMAN IN THIS MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY, IT’S EVEN MORE SO. UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU’RE MONIKA TU AND YOU’RE IN A LEAGUE OF YOUR VERY OWN. SUSAN ARMSTRONG SITS DOWN WITH THE FOUNDER, INFLUENCER AND FORCE OF NATURE TO TALK ABOUT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WHY WOMEN MAKE BETTER SALESPEOPLE THAN MEN.
The Real DEAL

You know when you meet someone and they make an instant, unforgettable impact on you? So full of zest and zeal, vim and vigour, just 10 minutes in their presence fills you with positivity? That’s how you feel when you encounter Monika Tu. A veritable force of nature, with a laugh that fills the room and eyes that sparkle like coal, she’s not only smart and savvy, she’s a lot of fun to be around. It’s no surprise she’s built Australia’s number one agency for luxury property sales for Chinese buyers.

“When I started Black Diamondz with my husband Jad nine years ago, I didn’t look for a niche, and then start the company; I started the company, then found the niche. I looked at who I was, what I could do and what I could do better than anyone else, because I wanted to make sure there was no competition. No-one like me.”

BILLION-DOLLAR WOMAN

She needn’t have worried; Monika is one in a billion. Arriving in Australia from China in 1988, without any English or connections, she forged her own path, always determined, focused and remarkably honest. Like when you ask about the best decision she’s ever made. “Marrying my younger husband,” she says candidly. Wait. What? This is a strong, powerful, successful woman – that really wasn’t the answer I was expecting…

“Jad gave me something I only dreamed of and that’s confidence, how to love and how to trust,” Monika reveals. “If you’ve been through a couple of marriages like I have, and lost trust along the way, it’s very important to get it back. He did that for me. Plus, he’s 20 years my junior and he’s very good-looking. That gave me a lot of confidence.”

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

This story is from the March 2020 edition of The CEO Magazine - ANZ.

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