jpatokal wrote:AussieSkater wrote:Has anyone used the agents from which this website forum is hosted? Or what were the reasons for not using them. It appears from these posts that people used "other" agents.
SingaporeExpats is one of the bigger agencies out there, and they specialize in homes for expats (surprise surprise). Obviously they're reliable and good at what they do, but a) they have quite a few agents, so your experience may vary based on who you get, and b) they concentrate on
condos and higher-end
property (S$2500+/mo), so you may have better luck elsewhere if you're looking for that mythical S$850 studio in Dhoby Ghaut. Although I suspect you'll need a
lot of luck anywhere to find another one of those, since deals like that sell themselves, and no agent anywhere is going to bust their hump to find one for you, because their commission on a cheap apartment is also low.
jpatokal, I usually used agents I know but this time around since I find here a listing of a place I'm interested, I actually called in. Was given the agent's name by the operator of singaporeexpats, and I called. The listing was low - 2.5K. When I call, it miraculously the agent said 3K. I asked then why she listed it as 2.5K and she said "where got? you want good place you must pay" - I hang up. This is two Saturdays ago, and I have since closed a deal in the same place, at 2.4K for the same kind of abode (3+1) - which ironically was listed as 3K!
If they list 2.5K then I expect them to negotiate on that basis and what she (this agent) was doing I regard as cheating. But hey, I've been here more than 10 years now and I don't get overly worked up anymore with such morons.
Friggin agent like that really can destroy a good reputation. I've emailed back the name of the agent but has not yet received feedback... Now, I've been visiting this site for years and I want to believe that actually it's one bad apple - need to be careful with those kind of rowdy agents mates!