Is it just me, or has the barrier to entry for becoming a property agent in Singapore become “must own a ring light and a sense of entitlement”?
I’ve been trying to hunt for a resale unit for the past three months, and honestly, the experience has been more draining than a 40-hour fast. I’m convinced 80% of the listings on PropertyGuru are just digital ghosts.
1. The “Fishing” Listings
You see a decent unit at a fair price. You message the agent. Agent: “Oh, that one just sold/OTP issued yesterday! But I have this other New Launch project in Tengah that is definitely going to appreciate 20% by next year. Want to see?” No, Kelvin. I want a house I can actually live in now, not a construction site 5km away from the nearest MRT station.
2. The “Main Character” Syndrome
Why does every agent feel the need to be a TikTok influencer? I’m here to see the floor plan and the toilet piping, not a 4K cinematic drone shot of you walking out of a Continental car in a tight suit while “Success” quotes play in the background. If they put half the effort into actually replying to WhatsApp messages as they do into their video transitions, the market would be 100x more efficient.
3. The “Urgency” Tactics
The moment you show 1% interest: “Bro, better hurry. I have 3 other buyers already preparing their cheques. One of them is a PR with a deep pocket. If you don’t drop the 1% today, you’ll lose it.” Classic. Then you check the listing two weeks later and—surprise!—it’s still there, and the price has actually dropped by $10k.
4. The Budget “Deafness”
Me: “My budget is $800k. Strictly.” Agent: “I understand. Anyway, here is a $1.2M penthouse. If you stretch your loan and eat grass for the next 30 years, it’s a great investment!” Do they teach basic math in the RES course, or is “Upsell everything” the only module?
5. Co-broking Drama
God forbid you have your own buyer’s agent. The seller’s agents treat you like you have the plague because they don’t want to split that sweet, sweet commission. They’ll “forget” to schedule your viewing or suddenly tell you the seller is “overseas” for the next month.
Honestly, at this point, I’d rather deal with a faceless algorithm than another guy named “Aspiring [Name]” who tries to “mentor” me on wealth creation while I’m just trying to find a place to put my bed.
TL;DR: If you’re a good, honest agent who actually does their homework and respects budgets, you’re a unicorn. To the rest? Please stop the TikTok dances and just tell me if the master bedroom has a leak.