Who Should Really Design the ACN For Your Agency?

ListingMine Academy | Talent Management & System Architecture

If ACN is a stadium, who is the architect?

If ListingMine is the engine, who is the engineer?

Most Malaysian agencies assume the answer is simple:

“The Principal should design the ACN.”

This feels logical, but it is usually the biggest mistake an agency can make.

Most Principals are Rainmakers—elite closers, intuitive negotiators, and charismatic deal-makers. Rainmakers break rules to win deals. ACN requires someone who builds rules so everyone can win.

To build a scalable, governed, high-performance ACN, you need something else:

You need an Agency Architect.

1. The Founder’s Paradox: Rainmaker vs. Architect

To choose the right ACN designer, you must understand this truth:

Sales Talent and Systems Talent are usually opposites.

The Rainmaker (Principal)	The Architect (System Designer)
Wins using Charisma	Wins using Logic
Operates on Instinct	Operates on Process
Breaks rules to Close Fast	Builds rules to Close Consistently
Thrives in Chaos	Thrives in Structure
"Just get it done."	"If A → then B → then C..."

The Rule: The Principal sets the Destination. The Architect designs the Vehicle.

2. The 4 Essential Criteria of an ACN Architect

The ACN Architect MUST possess these four operational traits:

A. The Deconstructionist Mindset
They must be able to break a "sale" into 20 micro-steps.
(Lead → Qualify → View → Offer → Loan → SPA → Claim).
If they cannot decompose the sale into component parts, they cannot design the workflow.
B. Market Empathy
They must understand frontline reality.
If the market suffers from high defect rates, they know to add a Renovation Specialist function. If the market is dominated by foreign buyers, they know to add a Language Bridge function.
C. Zero Emotional Attachment
ACN cares about functions, not titles. The Architect must be ruthless enough to say: "This Manager role adds no value. Delete it."
D. Software Fluency
They do not need to code, but they must speak "Logic." They must understand that commission splits are formulas, not feelings, and that every action in the system must trigger a specific reaction.

3. The "Unicorn" Skill: The Capital Market Lens (Creating a Moat)

This is what separates a Small Business from a Listed Company.

Many agencies implement a "Basic ACN." They copy a generic structure, set up a basic split, and stop there.

The Result: They earn profit, but they build no value.

The Trap: 20 years later, their PE (Price-to-Earnings) ratio is still less than 3.

Why? Because their system has no depth. It is easily copied. No depth means no moat.

A true Agency Architect understands the Holy Trinity of Agency Value:

Agent OS (Operations): How do we close deals efficiently?
IT Implementation (ListingMine): How do we automate the governance?
Capital Markets (Valuation): What do investors actually value?

Why is this rare?

Because most people only possess one skill set.

The Agent knows Operations but ignores IT.

The Tech Lead knows IT but ignores the Market.

The CFO knows Capital Markets but does not understand the nuances of selling a house.

The Perfect ACN Design

A "Capital Market-Ready" ACN is designed to capture the specific data that investors value:

Recurring Revenue Stickiness (e.g., Property Management integration).
Agent Retention Rates (e.g., Automated loyalty tiers).
Predictable Pipeline Data (e.g., Lead-to-Cash analytics).

If your ACN is just a "copy-paste" of another agency, you are building a cash machine, not an asset. You need an Architect who designs for the Exit, not just the Month-End.

4. Where Do You Find the Architect? (Internal Candidates)

The Architect is often already in your office, hiding in plain sight.

Profile A: The Tech-First Emerging Leader
Who: A young team leader who is efficient, organized, and utilizes apps for every task.
Why: They are often the best operational thinkers.
Profile B: The COO / Ops Manager
Who: The person handling compliance, disputes, and workflows.
Why: They excel at process design and governance.
Profile C: The Analytical Top Performer
Who: A top agent who closes using logic, spreadsheets, and data rather than pure charisma.
Why: The "Unicorn." If you have this person, elevate them immediately.

5. The Hiring Test: The “Process Question”

How do you determine if a candidate has the logical mindset required? Ask them:

“Walk me through exactly what happens the moment a buyer pays a booking fee.”

The Wrong Answer (The Rainmaker):

"We celebrate! Then we chase the banker to get the loan approved!"

(This is emotion-based. It cannot be coded. It offers Zero Enterprise Value.)

The Correct Answer (The Architect):

"First, the admin validates the receipt. Second, the status updates to 'Reserved'. Third, the timeline begins. Fourth, lawyers are notified. Finally, the data is logged for the quarterly valuation report..."

(This is process-based. It can be coded. It builds high Enterprise Value.)

6. What If No One Fits? (The Beike Strategy)

If your office is full of Rainmakers but lacks Architects, do not force them. You cannot turn a star striker into a stadium engineer.

Hire an external Business Consultant.

This is exactly what China’s giant Beike (KE Holdings) did. They hired IBM to design their process logic.

Why?

Because Beike knew that to achieve a high PE ratio on the NYSE, they needed a system that was auditable, scalable, and unbreakable.

Beike provided the Market Knowledge.

IBM provided the System Logic.

Together, they built a moat that no one could cross.

How to Execute:

Hire a Consultant to map your workflows.
Use ListingMine to digitize those workflows.
Instruct them: "Design this system so that if I leave tomorrow, the machine still runs."