Breaking Borders: How One Burmese Refugee Transformed Adversity into Triumph w/Vung Mang | Ep 52

Real Producers

Imagine being uprooted from everything you know, leaving behind your home and stepping into a world where the odds seem stacked against you. This is a reality for many refugees, stepping out of their homeland in search for a better life.

The journey is not an easy one, and can be more difficult when we have a vision in mind of what a fresh start will look like, but we’re hit with a harsh reality check.

This was the experience for Vung Mang, a Burmese refugee who came to the US with nothing but determination.

How do we overcome situations where there seems to be no way out especially in a new and foreign place? How does this help us to improve mental toughness and drive?

In this episode, real estate broker, top 1% real estate agent in the Grand Rapids and Burmese refugee, Vung Mang shares his story of moving to the USA, how he overcame the challenges as a refugee and he's now helping people like himself not just survive but thrive in their new homeland.

I felt like I had to help people out, and that way I also got more connections and networking. -Vung Mang

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

-Pivot to find success

When things don’t go according to our expectations, how do we look for success and opportunities elsewhere?

-Networking and mentorship

There are a lot more mentors today that are willing to help than there were in the past. How can we take advantage of that?

-A different world

What’s the difference between real estate in Burma and the USA?

Guest Bio

Born and raised in the small town of Kalay, Myanmar — formerly called Burma — Vung Mang weathered numerous challenges in life, but it didn’t stop him from finding success. He immigrated to the United States as a refugee from a communist country, and despite trying a variety of jobs before and after he resettled in the U.S., he finally found his purpose in real estate by helping other people succeed in their goals as well. “Between learning survival skills in Myanmar and having to overcome all odds, I am appreciative of what I have and of every opportunity that life offers me here,” Vung said. While Vung still lived in Myanmar, he studied English and computer networking. He then became a computer salesperson before finding work as an insurance agent for three years. In 2008, Vung relocated to Michigan and became a case aid and translator at Bethany Christian Services. He met many people in the Burmese and Nepali communities as a result of his job where he assisted families as they settled into their new lives in America.

Due to his expanding network and his growing knowledge of the area, Vung was inspired to enter real estate. He began working at Five Star Real Estate in November of 2013 as a part-time agent while still aiding people through Bethany Christian Services, but three years later, Vung realized that his career in real estate could carry him into a brighter future than what he could have ever imagined. “When I went full-time as an agent five years ago, it changed my whole life,” Vung recalled. “I have tried all sorts of investments, and I found that real estate sales and investments are the best.”

Now an agent for over nine years, Vung has thrived in the industry. He sold 79 houses in 2022 and obtained over $24 million volume in sales, which contributed to his overall career volume of $94 million. For the past two years, he has been the #1 most-selling agent at Five Star Real Estate, and in 2022, he was ranked #35 out of over 3,000 agents in all of Grand Rapids. Vung also owns nine rentals — which contain 13 units — as well as his primary residence. One day, he hopes to possibly own a large apartment complex or commercial property. One day, Vung hopes to possibly own a large apartment complex or commercial property.

Despite Vung’s impressive achievements, he defines success as “helping people achieve their goals.” He is passionate about assisting past and current clients gain financial success through investment-property ownership, but most of all, he wants clients to remember him as a “fantastic agent who went above and beyond” and as someone who ensured that all of their transactions were completed on time.

From his humble beginning in Myanmar to only having $20 in his name when he moved to Michigan 14 years ago, Vung has worked incredibly hard to become a top-producing agent and hopes that he can inspire others to go after their dreams, too.

Find Vung on LinkedIn @Vung Mang