Special thanks

First, hi to all clients who use my services. I am proud of your messages and I know that it’s because of you that I’m so busy – because you recommend me to your friends.

Many thanks for the messages and ideas. I can’t control who leaves messages on my blog, so thanks for the comments. Your comments reflect the ‘love’.

Many thanks to my ‘family’ network from Australia: Lia Jacqueline, Angela Savage & Andrew Nette, Teresa Carney, Kate Fraser, Susan Andrew, Irvin Savage, Lee & Gan King Yan, David & Martel Carter. These people being me more work by introducing me to many NGOs, commercial companies and embassies.

There are other people from various countries who have used my service and recommend me for their people to use in the future. Thanks Elesabeth, Michael & Tama Douglas, Nicola Upham, Anne Marie, Gilson Julien & Mari Helene Kestemont, Thomas Edward Malone, Monika Nowaczyk, Kyungsoo Ming, Thomas Gam Nielsen, Liesl Kruger, Steven Jarvinen, Yvonne Syversen and all the others who have used my services.

Special thanks to the Phnom Penh Post for the story, which worked like free advertising for me, and to the NGOs, owners, commercial and expatriate websites that have recommended me and linked my site to their websites, such as Khmer440 and the Expat Advisory Service.

To my new or prospective clients, I would like to say that I will do my best to help you find what you are looking for. But if I cannot, I will be honest with you. Sometimes, what you are looking for simply does not exist at the price you can pay. Sometimes there is nothing available. And sometimes I am just too busy to take on new clients.

I repeat that I will always do my best to help, but if I cannot I will be open and honest with you about it.

What I can also promise is not to waste your time showing you property that does not meet your needs. Time is too precious to waste for all of us!

My best recommendation comes from my satisfied customers. I invite all of you who are happy with my service to keep leaving messages on this website and wherever you see an opportunity on other internet forums.

As for my future customers, please feel free to write to me with your phone number and I will contact you to see what I can do for you.

Thanks to Andrew Nette for the photo to go with this post.

Meet Art, homefinder extraordinaire

This article first appeared in the Phnom Penh Post, Real Estate 2008 Special Supplement, Friday 04 April 2008. Written by Vong Sokheng. Photo: Tracey Shelton.

The Australian businessman appeared confused. “I’m sorry, who is this?” he asked the voice on the end of his phone.

“I’m Art, I find people homes,” came the cheerful reply.

Finding the perfect apartment in Phnom Penh can become something of a minefield. With real estate agents on every other corner, each pushing their clients’ properties, how do you know who to trust?

“I am a home finder, not a real estate agent,” says Art Hongly, a 32-year-old Cambodian entrepreneur who has found a niche market helping new arrivals and long-term expatriates locate their dream property amidst Phnom Penh’s booming rental market. “I know how to help people.”

Art, a Kompong Cham native, moved to Phnom Penh in 1997 to pursue further education. Financial hardships forced the young student to consider ways of earning some cash on the side to fund his studies.

He began researching property in Phnom Penh – finding out what was available and how much it cost. Gradually, he built up a network of property owners, landlords and tenants. Slowly, by word of mouth, news of his successful brokering work spread.

“He tries so hard to find you exactly what you want,” said one former client. “I recommend him to friends as he knows what foreigners want from a rental property and he helps you to find it.”

Ten years on, Art is a successful “mini broker,” he says with a smile. Although he has no company or office – just him, his mobile phone, and his network of clients – business is booming.

“My work is very simple,” he told the Post. “Clients hear about me by word of mouth. I never advertise. I don’t compete with the big real estate companies.”

But what he does do, is “try to help everyone who needs a home,” he says. “I am now experienced in this line of work and I know how to help people.”

The Australian businessman, who was using Art to try and identify a suitable property for a new business venture in Phnom Penh, was impressed by Art’s diligence.

“He calls me,” says the businessman. “He is so enthusiastic and very helpful, he is a real find.”

Art can help find a property and will help with negotiations between homeowners and tenants. He does not charge his clients for showing them properties – his money comes from the commissions paid by grateful homeowners when he has managed to let their property.

“I call it the ‘clean heart service,’” he says. “I am traditional Khmer, I have no real ambitions in the real estate industry. I try to do a good deed in order to make the people close to me happy.”

Art’s helpful hands have not stretched beyond just finding people homes; he is trying to help make Phnom Penh as easy to live in for foreigners as possible. Art will arrange anything to help your house feel like home – from reliable domestic help to internet services.

His clients, who primarily hail from Europe, North America and Australia, have grown in number dramatically in recent years and include embassy staff and NGO employees.

“Cambodia is changing very fast now, some foreigners visit the country and then decide to live here – being a home finder is an interesting job for me,” Art says. “When people begin a new life in another country and it starts by being peacefully settled into a new home that they are confident will not cause problems for them, they are happy.”

Despite the real estate sector booming, Art says his business has not suffered from extra competition.

“I do what I can do and I do not pressure myself over work,” he says. “The most important thing is that my clients trust me.”

The average deal takes a week or two to negotiate and he negotiates about ten deals a month.

“I am not focused only on money, my daily work is not a real business at the moment,” he says. “I just want to help with brokering deals and build up confidence in my services before I set up a company.”

Art can be found on the web at http://artthehomefinder.wordpress.com

Art the Home Finder: Providing a complete range of home-related services

Greetings, Art the Home Finder here.

Finding a house in Phnom Penh can be a stressful experience. So can organising the other services you need to make your house a home.

This is why in addition to actually helping you to find a house I can also provide a range of related services. I can help you to arrange:

• Reliable domestic help, including cleaners, cooks and guards.

• Transportation services, including information about taxis, cars and other forms of transport to help get you around Phnom Penh.

• Mobile phone or home computer services, including providing assistance in getting a reliable broadband connection to your home computer.

• Advice on home security and repairs, including locksmiths.

• Reliable and competent tradespeople who can help with home maintenance and repairs.

• Advice on where to source reasonably priced and high quality household goods, such as furniture and electrical items.

If you have any questions or seek further information about the services above, please do not hesitate to contact me SMS or you can call me on (855) 12 422126.

Also, feel free to leave me a comment on this website. I would love to hear from you.

Art

Introducing Art the Home Finder

My name is Art Hongly. I am a home finder, not a real estate agent. I specialise in finding the right home for people who are looking for somewhere to rent or buy in Phnom Penh. I am experienced in this work and I know how to help people.

Most of my clients come from overseas countries like Australia, Canada, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, UK and USA. I also help local people in Cambodia.

My style is to listen to what the client wants and to find the right place for them at the right price.

I have a network of home owners, landlords and landladies who know and trust me. They notify me directly when their place becomes available for rent. Often they prefer to use me rather than advertise through the large real estate companies.

I also help negotiate lease agreements between home owners and tenants so that the terms are clear and all parties are satisfied.

I prefer to work with home owners, landlords and landladies I can trust, too. I try to make sure the property is cleaned very well and all repairs are done before my clients move in.

If any misunderstandings arise between the home owner and tenant, I am happy to help sort things out.

My commission is paid by the owner, not added to the rent. I take you around to show you properties at no cost to you–it’s what I call a ‘clean-heart service’.

If you are looking for a home in Phnom Penh, call me now:

Art Hongly

Ph 012 422 126

Email: artdhomefinder@gmail.com

Art really listened to what we wanted and found the perfect home for our family. Finding a suitable place to live in Phnom Penh was not easy. We feel very lucky to have found Art.

Angela Savage & Andrew Nette, Australia