Desmond Sim to leave Realion Group after steering ETC-OrangeTee merger

Desmond Sim, group CEO of Realion Group and CEO of ETC, has decided to step down and will begin gardening leave effective Sept 21. His official last day will be Oct 31, according to an internal memo seen by EdgeProp Singapore.

According to the memo, in the interim, Justin Quek, deputy group CEO of Realion Group, will step in to oversee the group's leadership and operations, while Christopher Ng, group chief corporate officer, will oversee ETC's operations.

"Leadership succession preparation is well underway, and we will make the leadership announcement at the appropriate time," says Ng.

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“Importantly, the group’s strategic direction and priorities remain unchanged,” says the memo. “The plans and initiatives already underway across our businesses will continue to move forward, as we build on the foundations established and remain focused on our longer-term goals for Realion Group and its entities.”

Sim’s departure comes more than five years after he joined ETC, formerly Edmund Tie & Co., in June 2021, initially as deputy CEO. He took over as CEO of ETC from Ong Choon Fah the following month as part of a generational leadership transition at the homegrown real estate consultancy.

Before joining ETC, Sim spent nine years at CBRE, where he led research for Singapore and Southeast Asia, and a decade at JLL.

At ETC, Sim was tasked with transforming and growing the business, developing talent and strengthening its position as a homegrown real estate services firm. His tenure subsequently coincided with one of the most significant periods of corporate change in the firm’s 30-year history.

Edmund Tie & Co. was rebranded as ETC in January 2025, ahead of its merger with OrangeTee Group the following month. The two companies were brought together under Realion Group, a new holding company, with Sim appointed group CEO and OrangeTee CEO Justin Quek appointed deputy group CEO.

Following the merger, ETC and OrangeTee retained their respective brands. ETC focuses on real estate consultancy and advisory services, while OrangeTee houses the group’s real estate agency and proptech businesses.

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Christopher Ng, Realion Group's chief corporate officer, is the youngest son of Realion Group chairman Roland Ng, who is also managing director and group CEO of Tat Hong Holdings. Investment vehicles associated with the Ng family fully own ETC and are shareholders in Realion Group.

When the merger was announced in February 2025, the combined group had more than 520 staff at ETC and 2,803 property agents at OrangeTee & Tie.

The merger built on a relationship between the two companies dating back to 2017, when the former Edmund Tie and OrangeTee combined their agency businesses to form OrangeTee & Tie.

Since the merger, Realion has been integrating shared corporate functions while expanding the group’s regional network and partnerships. ETC has operations and affiliates in Malaysia and Thailand, while the group has also deepened its links with Japan through shareholder Tokyu Livable.

The leadership change at Realion follows another at a major real estate consultancy less than two months earlier. Galven Tan stepped down as CEO of Knight Frank Singapore in late July after 2½ years at the helm, with deputy CEO Low Kin Hon taking over as interim CEO. Knight Frank said Tan had resigned to pursue new opportunities.

When asked to comment on his departure, Sim says he feels “the timing is right, having seen the firm through a rebranding, the establishment of strategic partnerships and, most recently, a merger — things a CEO doesn’t get to do every day”.

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He adds: “I think it’s time for me to focus on my personal strengths and interests.”