How Germaine Chow turned a $24K loss into a thriving property investment portfolio

What does it take to become a self-made property investor and educator with a loyal following and a multimillion-dollar portfolio? For Germaine Chow, it started with asking hard questions about return on investment, about personal responsibility, and about who she really wanted to be.

After leaving her arts education behind and enduring early financial setbacks—including losing her savings in a failed investment—she turned her attention to learning the ropes of personal finance and property investing. Today, the 36-year-old is the founder & CEO of I Quadrant, a community-based investing platform that has helped many navigate the complex world of real estate.

Juggling business with motherhood, Germaine remains grounded in her mission: to empower others with financial literacy while staying true to her values. Her journey is proof that you don’t need to follow a conventional path to achieve success—you just need clarity, grit, and the courage to try again.

She shares about her first investment flop, how she scaled her property portfolio, and the one “unusual” lesson she teaches her children about money.

Were you always interested in property investment?

My career path has not been linear. I actually studied musical theatre at LASALLE College of the Arts, but nine months in, I asked a senior what she was earning post-graduation. She told me she was working as a mascot at Universal Studios earning $1,300 a month. My school fees were $63,000 for three years. It just didn’t add up. 

With my mum’s blessing, I left and joined Singapore Airlines. But soon, flying felt stifling and I decided to start my own online business. I remember saving aggressively, living on instant noodles, and on the advice of a friend, investing my savings—all $24,000 of it—into what turned out to be a scam. That money was meant to be our wedding fund, and both my then-fiancé (now husband) Shawn and I lost everything.

What was the biggest lesson you learned from that mistake?

Never outsource your financial thinking just because someone seems trustworthy. After being scammed, I’m now even more cautious when a close friend recommends something. That’s when your guard should go up, not down. Also, you are the best person to make financial decisions for yourself. Others may have more knowledge, but no one has more interest in your own money than you do.

What made you consider investing in commercial properties?

A friend and now fellow co-founder of I Quadrant, Ivan Cai, introduced me to industrial properties. At first, I was suspicious—it felt too good to be true. But after understanding the business and seeing the numbers, I realised it made sense. Shawn and I didn’t even have enough for the down payment, so we cashed out an insurance policy and co-bought our first property with his sister. That was our first unit. When we saw that rental could cover the mortgage and more, it blew our minds. We were hooked.

You were eventually inspired to start I Quadrant based on that insight.

Yes. After buying four industrial properties, I couldn’t understand why we weren’t taught any of this financial knowledge in school. Taking a loan for the first time can be scary. And learning about things like assets and liabilities should be made easy. So I partnered with Ivan—we combined his technical know-how and my lived experience to start I Quadrant. We’ve grown our community by being transparent, walking the ground, and sharing everything we learn.

What sparked your interest in the UK property market?

This was something that actually came up in conversation with someone from our community. They asked if I had considered investing in the UK, and I hadn’t, but I was curious about it, so my co-founders and I flew to check out locations in London and Manchester. What we found was that the occupancy rates for rental properties were as high as 98-99 per cent, which is unheard of in Singapore. 

I was convinced to make my first residential property investment. I also started to get to know and build a rapport with various developers. It was only after I had learned the ropes and familiarised myself with market knowledge that I shared my insights with the I Quadrant community. Today, we have a strong working relationship with several property developers in the UK and even organise yearly trips for our community to visit up-and-coming or newly built properties if they are keen on making their first property investment overseas.

Do you invest outside of property?

About 80 to 90 per cent of my portfolio is in real estate. I like stability and I don’t have time to monitor markets daily. I do invest small amounts in stocks and fixed-income products with slightly higher returns than fixed deposits. I also put a tiny bit in crypto, just for fun.

How do you teach your children about money?

My kids are 10 and 12, and I’ve brought them to see our UK-based properties. When I asked, “Would you invest in property in future?” They said yes, because we have set an example for them. As parents, it’s only natural that we want to spoil our kids, but at the same time, I want to instil in them good values and a strong work ethic.

One of the things I’ve said to them is that I think they are “unlucky”, in the sense that growing up privileged means that they may not feel the true satisfaction of how hard work pays off, unlike what my husband and I had to go through. I think this has changed their perspective. Interestingly, at our company’s recent market leaders summit, they wanted to try their hand at being emcees. We paid them a part-timer’s rate, and they were so happy with their first pay cheque. I think that was a valuable lesson for them.

And what’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Don’t feel bad for being number one.” This came from my other co-founder, Benny Ong. He said, if you’re running a race and you’re winning, don’t slow down to make others feel better. Just run your race. That helped me accept myself—and now I encourage others to do the same.

Germaine’s investment journey in numbers

• 2018 - the year she started investing in property
• $24,000 - The biggest sum of money she’s lost
• $165,000 - Her first downpayment for an industrial property
• 15 - The number of properties she owns
• $150,000 - The average profit from the sale of one industrial property
• 90% - Of her portfolio in property
• 10% - Goes to stocks, fixed income products and crypto

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article in our August issue had errors. The company name is I Quadrant, not iQuadrant. In addition, Germaine Chow is the founder and CEO, not co-founder. The article has been updated to reflect these corrections.