Rex Tan: “I Invest 10% of What I Earn Back into Myself.”

Beyond the Commission is a podcast by Lyte that uncovers the money, mindset, and magic behind some of Singapore’s top millionaire real estate agents.

Beyond their achievements, we explore the setbacks, decisions, and lessons that shaped their journeys.

In this episode, we sit down with Rex Tan, Chief Agency Officer of Huttons and founder of Rex Tan Division (RTD), where he leads more than 2,600 agents. Nearly two decades into his real estate career, Rex still sets aside around 10% of what he earns every year for one investment: himself.

From borrowing a credit card to buy a laptop, to spending $120,000 on an Executive MBA (EMBA) today, Rex shares how a commitment to continuous improvement has shaped how he approaches his career, time, money and long-term growth.

Watch the podcast below, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Every year, Rex Tan sets aside 10% of what he earns to improve himself.

To understand why, it helps to go back to where his career started.

From Borrowing Money for a Laptop to Earning Six Figures

Rex entered real estate at 21 without much financial backing.

“I don’t come from a very well-to-do family. So, when I started real estate, I wasn’t in the best shape financially.”

When he needed a laptop for work, he borrowed his colleague’s husband’s credit card to purchase one.

By the end of his first year, he had paid it off and even bought a car, but had little left in savings. His mother suggested he consider returning to school. Instead, Rex decided to take his real estate career more seriously, and make it count.

Within the following year, he had crossed into six figures in annual income.

Rex does not attribute that progress to hard work alone.

Throughout his career, he encountered mentors and benefactors who offered guidance and opportunities at pivotal moments.

Those experiences would eventually shape not only his own development, but also the way he leads others today.

The First Investment Is Always Yourself

Rex readily admits that he was not much of a student growing up. He recalls getting into fights and being disruptive in class – hardly resembling someone who would one day willingly return to school while managing a large division and a major real estate agency.

Today, learning is deliberately built into his financial plan.

Every year, Rex chooses something new to learn. Over the years, that has included wealth management, advertising and other professional development programmes. This year, he is pursuing an EMBA at SMU. He already knows what he wants to study next: directorship, to better understand how business owners think and make decisions.

His philosophy is simple:

“The first product to invest in is always yourself.”

That’s why Rex consistently sets aside around 10% of his income for self-improvement. He sees knowledge as an asset – one whose returns may not be immediate, but can compound over time.

The same thinking shapes how he manages his time.

Rex pays particular attention to the things that are important, but not urgent – learning a new skill, building a better system or developing capabilities he may need in the future.

“Important and not urgent is your future income.”

To Rex, staying ahead means investing in these things before they become urgent.

Using Capital to Create Leverage

Rex’s approach to investing does not stop at education.

For agents building a business, he believes capital should be used to create leverage – whether by investing in marketing or buying back time through other people’s expertise.

Early in his career, Rex hired a telemarketer. Today, he has people supporting him across different areas of the business.

The principle behind it is simple: everyone has the same 24 hours. To scale, there comes a point when doing everything yourself is no longer enough.

But Rex doesn’t believe agents should simply spend for the sake of growth. Before deploying capital into marketing, advertising or hiring, they first need confidence in what they are doing and a system that can turn that investment into results.

When asked where he would deploy $50,000 of commissions if it were available to cash out, Rex’s answer was immediate: marketing.

In the full episode, Rex explains why video creation has become an increasingly important part of that funnel, how agents should think about deploying capital, and why knowing what to do with money matters just as much as having access to it.

Beyond the Commission

After nearly two decades in real estate, Rex’s definition of success has evolved.

When asked what he knows today that he didn’t at 21: his answer wasn’t about earning more, building a bigger team, or gaining recognition.

“Don’t chase after fame and glory. Don’t chase after the public eyeball. Try to focus more on bringing value to people.”

For Rex, success is something that’s built over time – through knowledge, relationships, systems and creating value for others.

Watch the full episode to hear Rex share how he plans his finances decades into the future, why he believes compounding starts with discipline, and the business growth simulation he created to help agents understand how decisions about time, talent and money can shape their growth.