Property Agent Runs Durian Stall From Parents’ Semi-Detached Home In Pasir Ris

Why sell durians from his parents' semi-detached home?

Running a durian business from a residential estate may sound like a recipe for trouble, but Alex says that hasn't been the case. "There isn’t a strong smell and we don’t get any complaints from neighbours," he says. “In fact, our neighbours have been supportive, some of them are our regular customers.”

“Operating from home allows me to spend more time with my family,” he shares. Alex lives with his wife and daughter in a BTO flat in Tampines but returns to his parents’ landed home during durian season to run Bao Jiak Durian, because the garden is more conducive for conducting business.

When asked if his wife and daughter help out with the biz, Alex chortled, “They help me eat the durians!” 

While his family isn’t involved in the operations, they’re supportive of his durian side hustle. “There are a total of eight members [in the semi-D household] and they all don’t mind the durians,” he adds. 

“Many durian sellers are usually rowdy and intimidating”

Why sell durians in the first place? The idea came from his own experiences as a customer, where he often felt intimidated by the hard-selling and upselling that often comes with buying durians. 

“[Many] durian sellers are usually rowdy and intimidating,” Alex says. 

Alex wanted to create the sort of more relaxed buying experience he wished existed when he was a customer himself. 

Instead of steering customers towards the priciest durians by hard selling, Alex says he first finds out what flavours they enjoy before making recommendations. “For example, varieties like Black Gold and Musang King are more bitter.”

Started off as a stall at Ang Mo Kio in 2019 before it shuttered

Bao Jiak Durian started off as a standalone stall at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. Alex was a 28-year-old insurance agent when he launched the business as a side hustle.

The stall was forced to close in 2020 after the landlord ceased operations due to the pandemic. “My business partner, whom I started this with, also left after we closed the stall at Ang Mo Kio,” he says.

Gives his property clients free durians

Looking for an alternative in 2021, Alex went solo and obtained approval from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) to operate from home and relocated the business to his parents' landed property at Riverina View at Pasir Ris. Around the same time, he made a career switch to real estate with PropNex, after finding that the flexible nature of real estate work complemented the seasonal durian business better than insurance did.

“I’m able to sell durians and work my real estate job at the same time,” he says. “The flexibility helps. If I need to meet a client or close a property deal, I can do so and then head back to the durian business.” Some of his real estate clients have even gone home with durians, as Alex regularly gives his fruit away.

Walk-ins only

Bao Jiak Durian doesn’t offer any dining in, but pre-orders, walk-ins and delivery are welcome. Customers can simply drop by Alex’s parents’ home and purchase durians on the spot, subject to availability. Call him to secure your stash to avoid any disappointment. 

“[The home] business is doing better than my former Ang Mo Kio stall,” he says. “Most customers order through WhatsApp and opt for delivery, so I just needed a space to procure the durians [without the overheads of paying rent].” 

Mao Shan Wang currently at $17/kg

He only runs the biz during durian season, around June to August, and during that period, Alex says he sells anywhere between 100kg to 200kg of durians a day.

Bao Jiak Durian offers durian cultivars like Raja Kunyit ($21/kg), Black Gold ($19/kg), Golden Phoenix ($19/kg), Mao Shan Wang ($17/kg), Black Thorn ($17/kg) and Johor Red Prawn ($12/kg), with free delivery available for orders above $120. 

The durians are sourced from suppliers across Malaysia, primarily in Johor and Pahang.

“Raja Kunyit is the ancestor of Musang King (supposedly from Mao Shan Wang’s oldest trees),” Alex explains. “It has a stronger and more intense taste.” 

“Golden Phoenix has small seeds and are sweeter, while the others are bittersweet and creamy,” he shares. 

Bao Jiak Durian is at 19 Riverina View, S518371. Open daily 2pm to 8pm. Call 91729091 to order.

Photos: Bao Jiak Durian