“Our culture of collaboration and teamwork is one of the things that makes Colliers unique and a key factor in our driving exceptional results and accelerating success for our clients and our people,” says Robert Wilkinson, Managing Director for Colliers in Korea.
- How did you join Colliers and what had prompted you to do so?
My journey into the world of real estate did not start in the most conventional way! After graduating from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom with a degree in Management and Chinese Studies, I moved to Beijing to study Mandarin at a local university and worked at the 2008 Olympics. The language skills helped me to land my first full-time job – sourcing medical devices.
After spending three years in and out of Chinese factories and warehouses, an opportunity came up to me to join Colliers’ Corporate Solutions team in Hong Kong. Colliers was looking for someone who had some industrial expertise to work on one of our larger client accounts, which had a sizable industrial portfolio. So, the skills I learnt running around sheds in China were my ‘Segway’ into the real estate industry. As I say, this is not the most conventional way most people would enter this industry, but it enabled me to advise my clients on things like supply chain, through my own first-hand experience.
I was really fortunate to have joined the real estate industry through the Corporate Solutions team, as it exposed me to office, industrial and land transactions in almost every market across Asia Pacific. To be able to advise on transactions across so many markets and asset classes, the learning curve was unsurprisingly steep, but I learnt new things every day, which kept my career journey interesting! The role also enabled me to build long-term relationships and friendships with not only my clients but also colleagues from across the globe.
- What is your current role at Colliers, and what do you find most fulfilling about it?
I am currently the Managing Director of Colliers in Korea, and I am responsible for setting the strategic direction of our business in Korea, as well as to lead the growth and diversification initiatives and develop leadership talent. The most fulfilling part of my role is to be able to steer my team towards collaborating and overcoming challenges, eventually achieving success! A culture of collaboration is really important to me and is one of the things that I believe sets Colliers apart from others. We have had some incredible successes this year and I think this is largely down to a shared spirit and culture of accelerating success as one team.
- You have been in Korea for almost two years now. How have you settled in? What do you like most about Korea?
Korea is great! My family and I are really happy here. In terms of real estate, I think the mix of the old and new that you get in Seoul is fascinating; to see 500-year-old palaces located right next to prime grade office buildings is quite unique. I am also a big fan of the local culture, language, and yes, the food!
