Yen Yan: From Beijing Engineer to San Antonio Real Estate Leader
- Cedric Fisher
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Born and raised in Beijing, China, to mechanical engineer parents, Yen learned at an early age how to navigate culture and community. Yen’s parents traveled a lot for their jobs, taking their children, Yen and her brother, with them. This meant growing up in different locations. “I changed seven schools from elementary to high school,” Yen said.
“In China at that time, we were really poor, but we didn't know we were poor. We all had the same kind of salary as every family. We were happy, somehow happy because we really didn't know much at that time. I remember the first time I saw a TV, I was in second or third grade, and we all got excited. Back then, we were all left behind. These days, China is a different story, but back then we were really behind all the modern equipment and new devices."
After earning her Civil Engineering and Construction Management degree in China, Yen came to the United States to pursue a master's degree in real estate and Land Development from Texas A&M. At that time, Yen could read English but had difficulty speaking in English. At Texas A&M, Yen took English as a Second Language classes. “I remember those days, that was tough. But I got through it.”
Upon graduation, Yen was offered a job in International Sales at Signtech USA in San Antonio, and she moved here in 1994. “They were the 19th biggest private company in San Antonio, and they hired me to open an office in Singapore. I knew nobody in Singapore and set up the office, trained the office staff, and got a technical support team. My seven years there are filled with good memories.”
Yen spent the next two decades in management and international sales, traveling extensively across the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe. “In those days, you know, many times I'd wake up in the morning, I'd have to ask myself, what is the time difference from that country's time to Central Standard Time in San Antonio, and also, what is the exchange rate?”
Those years of traveling allowed Yen to broaden her appreciation for other cultures. Yen says one thing she learned that helped shape her professional and personal views on culture was, “No matter what your background is, what's your color of your skin, what's your cultural background, what's your education level — people all want some fundamental, basic things, to be treated fairly, respected, and also trusted. And after all, business owners want to make a decent living to support their families.”
Yen also learned to appreciate the food of different countries during her travels and still loves going where the locals eat. Yen admits the best meal she ever had was in the streets of Malaysia. It was a mom-and-pop place with a wobbly table, unmatched plastic chairs, with a small kitchen. “I was sitting in the open air with an umbrella because it was drizzling. There was no dining room, you're just sitting on the street to eat.”
Yen offers that there are a few things she took away from those early years in property management that helped her in the way she serves her clients today.
“One is, pay attention to small details, because in commercial real estate, small things can cause big problems if you don't pay attention. I cannot presume that they understand everything — some small detail that really may cause huge issues in the future.” Finding the right tenant is also very important. Renting out space is easy, but it is more important to get the right tenant, because it may cost you more money to evict this customer if they stop paying.”
Becoming established in the restaurant real estate market began with a one-by-two-inch ad in a Chinese newspaper in Houston. “I didn't find the niche myself — the sector found me.”
Two days after the ad was published, Yen received a call from a restaurant operator who already owned 14 restaurants in Houston, interested in expanding his business to San Antonio. A few days later, Yen found owners wanting to sell, and she had the buyer. This restaurant is Formosa Gardens, and it was her very first customer. “That's how my business started." Owners started to look to Yen with help in finding a location to start a restaurant. Yen soon earned the moniker of “the restaurant lady.”
Feeling the need for some change in her life, Yen left Keller Williams and joined Real Broker LLC, and has never regretted her decision. Yen says they all help each other a lot and have a true team dynamic.
Yen's experience in brokering Asian restaurants in the San Antonio area have enabled her to acquire customers from Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai restaurants. She also has Wayne’s Wings as a client, and according to Yen, they have very good chicken wings.
“I think the opportunities I had to travel overseas and work overseas with customers
from all over Asian countries, helped me to understand the culture and then where they come from and what their requirements are in their business operation. I noticed that finding the location is not the only key for their business.”
Yen tries to see what their future goal is — their business future.
Yen received her designation as a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) in 2018 after taking numerous classes in Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States. Yen concedes the classes were tough, but the opportunity to take classes all over the world was preferred to better connect with colleagues globally. Yen likened the classes to the bar exam, very hard and not cheap. It's s a big investment. “At the end, I got the little pin, and I said, ‘This is the most expensive jewelry I ever bought.’ It says CCIM on it.”.
The CCIM designation is a globally recognized credential for professionals in commercial and investment real estate. According to the CCIM Institute, over 20,000 professionals worldwide have completed the CCIM Designation Program since its inception in 1967, with more than 13,000 professionals holding the designation globally.
In 2024, Yen ran for the board of directors of the Bexar Appraisal District in an effort to improve appraisal values and property taxes that affect the bottom line of local businesses. Yen felt her background enabled her to help the taxpayer and clients and to make the process easier and more streamlined.
“I remember 10, 15 years ago in the Stone Oak area, a lot of mom-and- pop stores had to move out because the property tax went up so high, they could not afford to continue to operate their business.” Yen is undecided if she will run again but leaves the option open.
Yen has also served as the past president of the Alamo Asian Chamber of Commerce and president-elect of the Asian American Alliance of San Antonio. San Antonio's Asian population is only 3.2%. But according to the 2020 census, Asian business owners make up 11% of all business owners. Yen adds, in her experience, Asian business owners generally keep to themselves and their business. “I realized we need to have our voice together,” says Yen.
Elisa Chan, a former District 9 city council member of District 9, started the Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Alliance. The purpose of this group is to gather the Asian business community together, so they know they are not alone and are surrounded by support.
“We can make some waves in the economy by having a bigger voice and be stronger together,” states Yen.
The Alamo Asian Chamber of Commerce focuses on commercial business resources, such as educating restaurant owners about food safety and helping business owners protect their property tax.
The Asian Alliance is different in that it focuses not on individual members but on organizations. There are currently 28 organizations as part of the Asian Alliance from cultures such as Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese. The Asian Alliance is more about cultural and identity.
A little-known fact Yen shared is that she used to perform ballroom dance in college; waltz and tango. “I haven't danced since college until February of this year. I'm learning country dance and Latin right now at Sway Dance Studio.” Yen has loved to dance her whole life, beginning in elementary school. “I feel dance can connect people together and bring people joy, and it makes me happy. So, I think people watching me dance also feel happy and joyful. And that's my way to connect to the community.” Yen's goal is to compete professionally next year.
Yen enjoys reading anything about fitness, wellness, diet, and healthy living. She has just started reading Dr. William Li’s book, Eat to Beat Disease. “I remember I read an article in 2016. TPR had a broadcast report saying that in San Antonio, the lifespan from different areas can have a 20-year difference — 20 years. That's a huge gap. So, I'm interested in what makes people's health different.”
To get in touch with Yen, you can contact her on Facebook, “Yen Yan.”
Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/F6lIQydd7Hg?si=R_y86JTmps-OK4Dc
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