Hard work pays off for Vista Land broker Nilo Omillo

MANILA, Philippines - Nilo Omillo, a real estate broker for Vista Land for 22 years, is driving in style these days. In a recent ceremony awarding the exemplary brokers of the company, Vista Land chairman and former Senate president  Manny Villar personally handed him the key to a sleek Mercedes Benz E Series. For someone who used to clean bathrooms and knead dough in a bakery, to be rewarded as such means that Nilo, who still has the self-effacing quality of his old days, has reached a personal milestone.

“The car is a symbol of Nilo’s work ethic, commitment to excellence and passion to serve,” Villar said. “These traits provide a benchmark to all employees of Vista Land. Whoever they are, where ever they come from, they too can reach Nilo’s success as long as they are willing to apply the twin virtues of hard work and determination—sipag at tiyaga—in reaching for their dreams. Nilo, along with the other tireless and devoted brokers of Vista Land, has helped the company uphold its vision of fulfilling every Filipino family’s dream of owning a home and uplifting the Filipino quality of life.”

The Mercedes Benz is one of the many rewards that Vista Land, the country’s largest homebuilder, offers its sellers and brokers—on top of the above-industry commissions, and pay packages the company is known to offer generously. Non-monetary incentives, on the other hand, include training and workshop, marketing support, local and international travels as well as the different activities Vista Land regularly organize for its brokers.

In his more than two decades of service, Nilo has been able to live in a grand home, saved enough money for his retirement, traveled to choice destinations in the country and the world, sent his children to good schools and have his own building constructed for his own personal business.

In addition, Nilo received a Toyota Innova for every year that he was the number one broker in Camella South. So far, he has held to that distinction for 15 years. This only means that Nilo, who once upon a time had to endure the drudgery of public transportation (if not walking long distances just to reach his destination), has 15 Innova units, on top of his five other luxury cars and the Mercedes Benz given to him by Villar.

While people may think that Nilo has a combination of unique, super-human characteristics to achieve this kind of success, it is actually the opposite. When Nilo arrived in Manila from Leyte (where he was a fish vendor) at the age of 17, he didn’t actually know where to start in life. With little education, he kept body and soul together by being a tricycle driver, a stevedore, a baker and a janitor. Ready to give up, Nilo was approached by a friend and told him that he could be a real estate broker of Camella. He said yes, with little clue as to the nature of the work and the industry he was about to enter.

“The management of Vista Land equips sellers with the necessary training skills so they can effectively sell the units,” he said. “They will not leave you on your own. They will make you attend regular seminars to turn you into a good seller. Camella, during that time, was actively conducting sales activities and opening subdivisions. So I just held on.”

After Nilo sold his first house and realized he found his calling, he took up the Real Estate Broker Licensure Exam and passed, becoming a licensed broker in 1991. With minimal capital, this proud Waray established a small real estate office in Dimasalang, Manila and in Libertad, Pasay in 1992. In just two months, Nilo joined the esteemed ranks of the Top Brokers of Camella and bagged the Young Top Awardee.

Nilo’s success from then on was unstoppable. No one thought that he—who was used to doing menial jobs and living in a shack in Tondo—would transform overnight into a charismatic speaker, an inspiring leader and an empathic, sought-after broker. Crowning his achievement was being the number one broker for the Camella South market since 1997. “Every month, every year, we make sure that we achieve that goal,” he said. “My brokers and I have really fought hard for the number one position through the years.”

It is through the persevering efforts of brokers such as Nilo that have propelled Camella to unprecedented heights. In over 38 years, the group has built more than 250,000 affordable, quality homes in themed communities, maintaining a powerful presence in Mega Manila and key provincial destinations. It has won the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Gold Award for three straight years, proving Camella’s prestige as a real estate brand in all of Asia.

Nilo may seem to have achieved undreamt-of success but he is just one of the many Vista Land employees who now enjoy a life of comfort. Aside from receiving travel rewards, financial support and a multitude of cash and non-cash incentives, brokers and sellers are made to feel like a family, supported in each step of the their journey with the company.

Currently, Vista Land—which has five strong brands, namely, Brittany, Crown Asia, Camella, Lumina and its condominium marketing arm, Vista Residences—is in the lookout for committed and hardworking individuals who can join its formidable team of brokers and sellers. With the real estate market in the upswing, there is still so much space in the industry for a seller to grow, succeed and prosper. Who knows, some of them may become just like Nilo who started with nothing but is now driving a Mercedes Benz these days.