Interview Home and Condo Magazine
คุณสมเจต คูหารุ่งกิจเจริญ ผู้บริหารหนุ่มไฟแรงวัย 32 ปี ที่คร่ำหวอดในธุรกิจอสังหาริมทรัพย์มามากกว่า 10 ปี เจ้าของ บริษัท หมื่นแสนล้าน จำกัด ซึ่ีงประสบความสำเร็จในช่วงระยะเวลาอันสั้น อีกทั้งยังเป็นบริษัทอสังหาริมทรัพย์ที่น่าจับตามองที่สุดแห่งหนึ่งของเชียงใหม่
THE
Somjet Khuharungkitcharoen
INTERVIEW
H&C: Why did you choose to do business in Chiang Mai?
S: I have loved Chiang Mai since I was a child. I think that Chiang Mai is a city with beautiful scenery, surrounded by mountains, good weather, suitable for relaxation. In addition, it is a city with a long-standing culture. The people are friendly. If there is any province that reflects Thainess the most, I think it must be Chiang Mai for sure.
Q: And what is your view on the latest project of the million-baht company, “Lanna Lakeview Project”?
A: I think Lanna Lakeview is a unique and innovative project in the market. I want this project to reflect the peaceful and comfortable lifestyle of Chiang Mai people. I want residents to experience the beautiful culture and nature surrounding our project. Therefore, I chose a location that is a bit far from the city for privacy. There is also an artificial lake to increase the closeness to nature for customers. As for the houses, we have many house designs for customers to choose from, ranging from Lanna to modern styles. If customers want to consult about house designs, we have project architects to provide advice.
H&C: Which house type are customers most interested in?
A: It's hard to answer. I think each customer has different preferences. Each person has their own dream home design. I think this is the reason why they choose Lanna Lakeview because we give customers the freedom to choose the home design they want the most, without having to stick to the general styles in the market. I think many people decide to buy houses or condos that are sold all over the market, even though the home design may not meet their dream home requirements. But at Lanna Lakeview, I am confident that we can meet the needs and make dreams come true for customers.
H&C: In that case, Mr. Somjet probably doesn't like buying prefabricated houses.
A: I think that being involved in designing “our home” is like a dream, which is like raising a child. We must use understanding, nurture and gently raise them to grow up. I see it as a source of pride and a reward in life. That’s why I believe that the best home is the one you build with your own hands, because the word “home” has more emotional value than just a place to live.
H&C: But other projects choose to sell prefabricated houses because building a house to suit the customer's needs is very difficult.
A: It may be true, but I think it's my good fortune that my father has more than 40 years of experience in this business. What he passed on to me made me dare to do business differently from others and become as successful as I am today. That's why I would like to suggest that before you decide to buy or build a house, you should study the information and consult with experienced experts. Then your dream house may not be as difficult as you think.
H&C: Just listening to it makes me tired. Do you still have time to create other good projects?
A: (Laughs) In addition to the Lanna Lakeview project, we are planning to launch another project, but I won’t reveal too many details yet. But I assure you that it is just as good as Lanna Lakeview. In addition, we have just established the Muen Saen Lan Foundation, which I have wanted to do for a long time, but have only just started doing. The first activity we did was to support the football team of a local school, which is my favorite sport. (Smiles) I feel like giving back to the good things that Chiang Mai has given me. At least I hope that our Muen Saen Lan Foundation will help, even a little.
H&C: So what do you think is the heart of working in the real estate business?
A: I think it's customer service. It's probably the same answer as other people, but I think my meaning might be different from other people's. As I said before, building a "house" requires dedication and attention to every detail. Of course, there will be problems, but I'm confident that every single one of our employees can handle and deal with those problems. Let me first say that every one of our employees has undergone rigorous selection and training. So I'm confident that every single one of our employees is ready to provide excellent service and take care of every single customer. I think that's our strength.
H&C: It sounds like customer service is very important.
A: I think the most important thing that drives the company is all the employees. But speaking in terms of business, of course, the customers have to come first. I think for a business to be successful, we have to understand the needs of the customers more than the customers understand themselves. Therefore, I pay a lot of attention to every step, from doing market research to designing houses in each style. I can say with full confidence that at 10,000 million, we understand the customers the best (smiles).
H&C: So, how does Mr. Somjet see the future of this billion-baht company?
A: I hope the company can grow more than it is now. I think the real estate market in Thailand is quite inflated right now. You can see that many projects are using price reduction policies to compete for customers in the market. But for the billion-baht project, we will use uniqueness and novelty to attract customers. We always have new ideas for our customers and I am sure that the billion-baht project will be a company to watch in the future.
From Home and Condo magazine, November 2011 issue