Fifteen years ago, real estate advisor and investment consultant Mic Chan made a P2 million investment in Sonoma, Nuvali. Today, the same property commands a market value of P8 million — a 300 percent total return. While markets tend to fluctuate, the long-term trajectory of premium developments such as Nuvali remains one of the most reliable ways to multiply wealth. “Real estate isn’t about buying low and selling high. Time allows infrastructure to catch up with your vision,” he says.
From Rookie Agent to Wealth Advisor
For Chan, this philosophy began with pure hustle. Back in 2006, at just 23 years old, he started as a rookie sales agent for a major developer. He woke up at 6 a.m. to head to the Bonifacio Global City showroom and did not get back home to Malabon until midnight. The grueling schedule paid off when he closed a record P40 million in sales in a single month. By the end of his first year, he had generated P100 million in sales, earning a promotion to assistant sales manager.
By age 26, Chan went independent. Instead of chasing quick commissions on traditional listings, he focused on wealth portfolio strategy and the secondary market, helping individual owners resell properties. The shift grew his personal wealth, funded travels to 50 countries, and earned him enough respect that top developers such as Federal Land, SMDC, Megaworld, and Rockwell invited him to coach their teams. Agents who followed his advice eventually rose through the ranks to become directors and vice presidents.
Proven Investment Strategies Across Sectors
Today, Chan acts as a private wealth advisor, managing portfolios designed to protect capital from inflation. In 2009, he advised his uncle to buy four lots in McKinley Hill and one in McKinley West, when land was priced at just P60,000 per square meter and the area lacked the modern infrastructure it is known for today. Chan advised him to hold the assets. With the Venetian Mall and Enderun College now fully established, those properties are worth around P400,000 per square meter, transforming a P120 million investment into a P400 million portfolio.
His strategies work across various industries. For a client in the Brunei oil industry, Chan manages a P120 million portfolio consisting of a 9-hectare land acquisition in Palawan bought for P8 million, now worth P30 million, alongside seven fully rented BGC condominium units generating P80,000 to P100,000 in monthly passive income per unit.
In the corporate retail sector, he has advised a multi-awarded fashion retailer and a prominent family in the fashion industry that recently acquired P18 million worth of properties. He also handled a P40 million commercial acquisition for his brother, negotiated an office purchase down from P25 million to P20 million, and guided a corporate entity in acquiring P50 million worth of beach properties.
Navigating the Secondary Market Shift
Today, the real estate landscape requires a different approach. Chan points out that the condominium market has slowed significantly due to the exit of Chinese offshore gaming operators, pushing vacancy rates higher and shifting the market firmly in favor of buyers. In prime areas of BGC, prices have corrected back toward near-2010 levels. For example, a 72-square-meter BGC condominium purchased for P16.3 million sat on the market for a year before finally selling for P13.5 million.
Even Chan has felt the shift, noting that his personal units in Fort Victoria and One Oasis remained vacant for 30 days due to oversupply — a sharp contrast to 15 years ago when units were rented almost immediately.
However, this correction has created major opportunities in the secondary market. Savvy buyers can find significant value by purchasing directly from individual owners rather than developers. Chan recently helped a client acquire a commercial property in Nuvali for P180 million, a substantial drop from its original P400 million developer valuation.
To maintain official list prices while offering buyers incentives, major developers have introduced significant cash discounts. By taking advantage of these opportunities, Chan closed P500 million in cash transactions last year alone.
Long-Term Optimism and Portfolio Growth
He believes the current environment presents a rare opportunity for Filipinos to acquire properties, especially as foreign buyers have become less active in the market.
Despite short-term challenges, Chan remains optimistic about the years ahead. The country’s housing shortage continues to support long-term demand, and high-end projects are still attracting strong interest. A developer sold all 152 lots in its luxury project in New Manila within a month, with prices starting above P80 million. Another high-end property developer sold out units valued at P120 million and below after offering strategic discounts. Meanwhile, local demand continues to be driven strongly by Filipino and Filipino-Chinese buyers.
Chan continues to build his own portfolio, which now consists of 16 properties accumulated since 2006. His investments include condominiums in Makati and Ortigas, subdivision lots in Batangas, a shared stake in a highly occupied 60-unit student housing building in Malabon, a 3,000-square-meter inherited industrial warehouse in Cavite generating P85,000 in monthly rent, and a 20-hectare land bank in Palawan. Alongside architect Philipp Inno, he also runs Bloc Camp Site, a glamping community in Cavinti, Laguna.
For Chan, the strategy remains simple: look beyond temporary market fluctuations and trust that infrastructure will eventually catch up.
