In just two years, Jason Ng has achieved remarkable success with his property investment and training firm, Aurico Global. From humble beginnings, Ng has built the company from the ground up and currently manages a portfolio of $52 million in assets.
For Ng, property investment has always been a personal journey. It began in 1993 when he felt a strong sense of responsibility to provide for his family. Growing up, Ng lived with six family members in a rental flat along Dakota Crescent. Motivated to support his loved ones, he worked hard and eventually saved enough to invest in his first property – a 1,400 sq ft three-bedroom apartment for $435,000. Looking back, Ng reflects, “You can’t even get a similar-sized house for that price nowadays.”
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With his sharp acumen for property investment, Ng quickly expanded his portfolio and ventured into student enrichment and parenting training. He is now an accredited family life educator and has been working with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social and Family Development for over 15 years.
In January 2023, Ng co-founded Aurico with his wife, Emelyn Ho, to bring together his diverse portfolio of businesses. These include Aurico’s co-living investment and management arm JC Global Developments, property and investment training arm Anchor of Life Training Consultants, and My Preschool Hub – a provider of preschool enrichment resources and programs.
Aurico’s property portfolio covers a wide range of property types, from residential (co-living) to commercial and industrial assets. The company has a significant presence in the co-living space, with 380 units valued at over $30 million under its subsidiary, Communa, which is managed by JC Global Developments. Patrick Loke, a shareholder in Aurico, shares that the company has plans to acquire more properties and aims to almost double their current portfolio to 600 units by the end of the year.
One of the key strategies of Aurico is to acquire properties at strategic locations and below market valuation. In September, the company bought a two-storey shophouse on Joo Chiat Road for $5.1 million, which was 12% below its valuation price. Ng explains, “Every property that we buy must be bought at below market valuation. That means that before we buy an asset, we’ve already made money on it.”
Aurico looks for commercial properties in rapidly transforming areas, such as the mixed-use development Woods Square in Woodlands. The company owns a 560 sq ft commercial strata office unit at Woods Square, which they acquired in July for their own use. Ng says, “We believe that this investment allows us to be at the forefront of changes in Woodlands. This includes the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System. Having an office in Woodlands also boosts operational efficiency as we can easily hire workers from across the border.”
The company also sees potential in the food production industry and has acquired food factory assets to tap into the government’s “30 by 30” goal to produce 30% of the country’s nutritional needs by 2030. According to Ng, while they do not plan to go directly into the F&B business, the food factory and central kitchen purchases are strategic investments that enhance their portfolio. One of these properties is the strata-titled food facility Food Xchange @ Admiralty, which is strategically located near Johor and has a long lease balance of 36 years.
In May, Aurico acquired a 29.8% controlling stake in Autagco Ltd, a listed company on the Singapore Exchange. With Loke as the executive director, the company announced plans to diversify into property investment, co-living property management, education, and other businesses. As part of this diversification, Aurico has plans to inject their assets into Autagco.
Recently, Autagco announced that its board of directors has conducted a strategic review to diversify and expand its core business to include residential assisted living. The company is in the process of securing a suitable property for this project, which will be managed by Communa Gold, a subsidiary of Autagco.
Apart from property investment, Aurico is known for providing comprehensive and high-quality training to aspiring property investors. Ng believes that investment education is essential but often inaccessible to many. With his courses, he aims to make residential and commercial property investment accessible to anyone, regardless of their background or experience. Aurico also offers participants the opportunity to leverage the company’s network and strategies to enhance their investment portfolio. Ng is particularly passionate about helping millennials and Gen Z investors realize that they, too, can start their investment journey with proper guidance and training.
With its comprehensive curriculum and hands-on support, Aurico is committed to empowering individuals to make informed decisions and achieve their financial goals through real estate.