Expat Property Agent

[hedgehunter]

Hi

My wife is currently on a DP but is keen to get out to work. It seems that it is quite difficult to find well paid jobs though and therefore she is looking to go it alone. One idea she is toying with is jumping on the property agent ladder, targetting expats in particular and trying to offer a no nonsense service which seems to be a real hot topic at the moment.

Can any of you more experienced people answer the following for us please:

-How easy would it be to get EP seeing as she is a DP now?
-could she run her own business on an EP or do you need to be a PR?
-Are there any certs or courses that are pre-req for property agents in Singapore - i.e. can anyone do it?
-Does anyone think this is a good idea?

Thx

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hi

My wife is currently on a DP but is keen to get out to work. It seems that it is quite difficult to find well paid jobs though and therefore she is looking to go it alone. One idea she is toying with is jumping on the property agent ladder, targetting expats in particular and trying to offer a no nonsense service which seems to be a real hot topic at the moment.

Can any of you more experienced people answer the following for us please:

-How easy would it be to get EP seeing as she is a DP now? All she needs is the prospective employer to file for a Letter of Consent from MOM and Bob's her Uncle. It's duration, however, will be tied to your own EP.
-could she run her own business on an EP or do you need to be a PR? She would need to be a PR or file entrepass route and become a PR through the approved company. See the Sticky at the top of this forum with regards to Entrepasses by Strong Eagle
-Are there any certs or courses that are pre-req for property agents in Singapore - i.e. can anyone do it?
-Does anyone think this is a good idea?

I leave the last two for somebody else.

Thx

[Winxkid]

Hi

My wife is currently on a DP but is keen to get out to work. It seems that it is quite difficult to find well paid jobs though and therefore she is looking to go it alone. One idea she is toying with is jumping on the property agent ladder, targetting expats in particular and trying to offer a no nonsense service which seems to be a real hot topic at the moment.

Can any of you more experienced people answer the following for us please:

-How easy would it be to get EP seeing as she is a DP now?
-could she run her own business on an EP or do you need to be a PR?
-Are there any certs or courses that are pre-req for property agents in Singapore - i.e. can anyone do it?
U will need a CEHA cert by 2008. Min educational qualification is O level. That is the standard lay down if You are planning to go into HDB sales, however, this does not apply to private property agents.
-Does anyone think this is a good idea?
That would have to depend on whether Your wife fit the bill anot. In this field, there's people working till their last breath and there's people whom left within a few weeks time. but all these goes down to Hardwork and connection.

Thx

[hedgehunter]

She is going for the private sector which is where all these greedy parasite agents have been inflating the market. I'm hopeful she can make a difference, with expats at least....

[ksl]

She is going for the private sector which is where all these greedy parasite agents have been inflating the market. I'm hopeful she can make a difference, with expats at least....

[seasider]

There are already expat realtors - I have 2 friends working in this area and it's tough. How many realtors do you think are out there, hustling to make a living? Do you think foreign agents will get preferential treatment from local landlords - or the opposite?

If your wife wants to "make a difference" and just do something with her days, she'd be better off doing voluntary work. If she wants to earn a decent salary, she'd be better off finding a different career.

[glory bird]

Hi, i worked as a property agent in Dubai, which was a really hot market when it first stated off. However, its now a bit more stable like Singapore so things are a lot tougher for all agents. Its not always easy being an agent, it can be very hard work and really competitive, being professional and nice doesnt always mean people will rent from you! If you don't have local connections for the apartments then you are stuffed unless you can find an agent who has condos etc and will split the commission if your bringing the tenant. As a first step in the door perhaps you could work for a relocations company so that you could get an idea of how the market operates.
At the end of the day its your dream if you want it badly enough go for it! i have a real estate company in Sri Lanka that i have recently started so if you want to meet up an have a chat send me a pm.

[QualityMana]

Hi hedgehunter: My 5 cents worth:
I suggest your wife attend any of the free career seminars held by the real estate companies and pose them your questions. You can easily get the info on the seminar dates and times (available almost every week). Also give your wife a good opportunity to choose the Real Estate company she'd like to work with. I don't think she'll be the first expat to do this. I'm sure there are already others in the market.
Good luck!

[ksl]

Hi hedgehunter: My 5 cents worth:
I suggest your wife attend any of the free career seminars held by the real estate companies and pose them your questions. You can easily get the info on the seminar dates and times (available almost every week). Also give your wife a good opportunity to choose the Real Estate company she'd like to work with. I don't think she'll be the first expat to do this. I'm sure there are already others in the market.
Good luck!

I've actually just been contacted by a friend of mine here, who is also an agent..There are loads of expat agents too..its not at all difficult to do the course..but it can't be worth much credibility for 600$.. I was under the impression it would take at least a year...,not a few weeks.
But there again looking at the service, maybe they have 1 day courses too Better still you can probably get authorised on the internet!

Okay, well I have been updated, and here goes, all the agents work for the companies, that hold the licence, there is a shortage of agents at the moment, for specific areas....it looks like the early birds get the worm,, with a 30% cut, and the agent gets what he can, normally 1 to 3 % depending on several factors..

Its really a strage setup here, like very cut throat, with agents having to pay their own advertising out and other costs, out of their small cut. Seems like the big boys have it tied up, with taking 30% of the cut, they also take the agents on the courses, which they have to pay for, literally thousands of agents like taxis, are paying for these courses, to become agents and they upgrade, by paying more money for courses, with a licence holder, until they are capable of passing the state authorised exam, to get ones own licence...

Correct me if i'm wrong please!

Its not really the agents concern, that tenant, doesn't get there deposit back, because the agents job, is just to get the contract signed...although if he is nice, he will attempt all he can to please, however, because the agent doesn have his own costs involved, with advertising, he needs to keep his costs to a minimum, not paying for sorting out deposits and back payments, that is between landlord and tenant.

It appears some landlords, do keep the deposits to pay for damage, utilities, phone bills, ect, because quite often tenants abscond, without paying these bills, which the landlord hangs on to the money until, these bills are cleared..Some deliberatly keep the deposit, knowing that expats are leaving, and can do very little about it, although when you think of how many expats are here, its only a minority, that are treated badly, and this believe it or not happens in all countries, even with legal protection...

Rents and sales, are governed, by supply and demand, so a cut throat attitude is used, because anyone can back out, of a sale, even though a contract is signed..the landlord can change the price when he wants, and doesn't consider, if you are a good tenant or not, its all about money here and now, that matters, so I have been told and with the agent having to pay advertising fees, is can be very costly, and put the agent out of business.

Hope it makes more sense now.

I had a post like this in the staying in Singapore section, but it vanished!

[ksl]

Hi

My wife is currently on a DP but is keen to get out to work. It seems that it is quite difficult to find well paid jobs though and therefore she is looking to go it alone. One idea she is toying with is jumping on the property agent ladder, targetting expats in particular and trying to offer a no nonsense service which seems to be a real hot topic at the moment.

Can any of you more experienced people answer the following for us please:

-How easy would it be to get EP seeing as she is a DP now?
-could she run her own business on an EP or do you need to be a PR?
-Are there any certs or courses that are pre-req for property agents in Singapore - i.e. can anyone do it?
-Does anyone think this is a good idea?

Thx

Just wondering if you have sorted the problem out for your wife? Which Country is she from? It is quite easy to change, from DP to EP or even the business pass...providing the critera is followed.