John Singson, a well-known real estate entrepreneur from Orange County, California, once again finds himself at the top of his industry. As the Founder and CEO of Singson Real Estate, John has spent years redefining real estate tactics as well as the sales process, making it more customer-centric and teaching his team how to be effective negotiators. The result has been success both personal and professional, with lavish entertainment, VIP lists, and first-class service the norm. He also comes from a very powerful family in the Philippines. Even so, John has always preferred a more low-key setting, believing that “the less the better.” To understand how John has come to lead California’s real estate industry, we talked with him about his life, his roots, and why power will never outrank compassion and empathy.
John shares that his family comes from a long line of politicians, including the famed political boss and kingpin Governor Chavit Singson. “He’s my grandfather, and I look up to him not because of his fame but because of the millions of people he has helped over the decades,” he says.
The public knows Governor Chavit Singson as the Gangster Governor, as he flashes his black panther, lions, tigers, private jets, yachts, armored vehicles, and a lot more.
Despite such a background, John remains humble and smiles a little as he shares that he has learned a lot from his grandfather. “He really shows the world the value of hard work and determination.”
Those values, combined with John’s business savvy, resulted in his motivation for entering the real estate market, which has been key to John’s success. He says that flipping houses and helping investors make money have made him who he is now.
John states, “I mean, besides California, where can you find stable investments where buying houses can become a business? In today’s market, literally after six months, your home gives you at least $50,000 in your pocket. I have had clients who made $100,000 a year just by buying a home. For example, when they bought a home for $800,000, the following year, you wouldn’t be surprised if it was worth $900,000 or more. What I usually tell them is to refinance and take out the equity. Let’s say it’s $100,000, for example. Get that money to work, buy another home, and rent it out as a rental. Just keep doing this until you have thousands of homes. That’s what I have been doing.”
John shares that with the homes he has owned that earned equity and went up in value, he has refinanced them and pulled out the cash to double it even more. “This is another way of acquiring wealth through real estate.”
Another way, John continues, is to flip houses. He buys homes under market value, makes them look nice, and puts them back on the market. “As sad as it sounds, you’ll be surprised by the number of problematic homes that need our help. It happens for all sorts of reasons, such as divorce, death, and loss of a job,” he says. “What I do is get a person out of their loan, buy the house for a lower value, remodel it, and put it back on the market for a flipped value.”
He states that a house that has more problems sometimes can affect a negotiation for the better. “Of course, I make sure that all parties win. No one loses, and my main purpose is to help the person get out of their problem.”
John has learned over the years that there is no easy road to what you want. “That’s because typically when you want something, you don’t have it yet, right? If it were easy, you would already have it, so patience is key.”
His work in the real estate industry as well as mentorship of younger entrepreneurs resulted in John making the list of Top 75 Most Influential Filipino Americans in the World. “I’m actually honored and surprised by it, as I know that list should be longer,” John says. “All of us are capable and are equal to what we want in life.”
He says that no matter how far he goes in real estate, he won’t forget the importance of compassion. “Yes, it can be exhilarating to win big financially, no question,” John acknowledges. “However, what difference does money in the bank make if you lose empathy for the people around you? All the power in the world won’t make up for the fact that you are a lousy person. That’s why each day I look in the mirror and make sure I like who I see. We need more leaders who are genuinely good people. What a difference that would make in our world, don’t you think?”
For more information about John Singson, please follow him on Instagram (@thejohnsingson) or Facebook (John Singson). You can also email his team at cosmopolitanhelp@gmail.com.