When Vivien Yap was 19, she drove up the steep hills of Perth’s Mosman Park and promised herself that one day she’d live there. Years later, not only did she move into her dream home – she sold it recently for a record-breaking $21.5 million.
“I’m still a consummate real estate professional,” she laughs. “Luxury property is in my DNA.”
From the outside, luxury real estate might look like champagne and designer heels, but Vivien is quick to point out it’s built on strategy, service, and serious hard work.
Over her career, she’s developed a three-pillar approach to dominating the luxury market: elevating client experiences, collaborating with luxury brands, and selling properties through unique experiences.
Pillar One: Elevate the Client Experience
In the luxury world, a standard bottle of wine at settlement isn’t going to cut it. Vivien matches her settlement gifts to the lifestyle her clients are buying into — from Chanel No. 5 and Dior candles to hand-painted original artworks she creates herself. Some of those paintings end up as custom silk or cashmere scarves, while others are auctioned for charity.
“It’s not about the gift itself,” she says. “It’s about emotional value, ongoing relevance, and delivering an extraordinary experience.”
She also hosts elegant annual client events — not sales pitches, but market update evenings where high-value guests network over fine food and wine. The goal? To be more than a transactional agent and instead a trusted curator of lifestyle.
Pillar Two: Collaborate with Luxury Brands
Instead of only networking in real estate circles, Vivien moves in the same spaces her clients do — car clubs, luxury watch events, and fashion houses. Her husband is a brand ambassador for Rolls-Royce, connecting her to high-net-worth individuals. She’s partnered with Watches of Switzerland for private watchmaking masterclasses, hosted Mother’s Day events at Louis Vuitton, and attended Paris Fashion Week — where she met people who later became clients.
“You just need to be aligned in this world,” Vivien says. “It could be with a jeweller, a hotel, or a car showroom. But whatever you do, be authentic and know your subject.”
Pillar Three: Sell Through Experiences
For Vivien, an open home isn’t just a walkthrough — it’s an event. She’s served as her own waitress when a private chef couldn’t get staff, guiding guests through a home as fresh dishes were prepared in the kitchen. The result? Buyers didn’t just see the home, they lived it.
Another standout was partnering with Moët Hennessy to host an evening at the heritage-listed Duncraig House.
The aim was the same — immerse potential buyers in the property’s lifestyle, not just its floorplan.
These events don’t always sell the home on the night, but they build reputation, win listings, and strengthen relationships.
Luxury, the Long Game
In the luxury space, Vivien says trust is everything. Clients expect discretion, clarity, and confident answers. They also expect you to solve problems — ideally with multiple solutions.
“It’s not about one deal,” she says. “It’s about the lifetime of transactions — theirs, their friends’, their family’s.”
Her advice for aspiring luxury agents? Embed yourself in the right ecosystem, deliver extraordinary experiences as standard, and offer irreplaceable value.
“When you do that,” Vivien says, “you’re not competing for permission — you’re competing on the kind of value no one else can match.”
