0107Singapore real estate educational stories for asiahomes.com realtors, excerpts from "The Internet Realtors, Singapore", sponsored by  AsiaHomes Internet

"The Human Resource Manageress wanted me to use her realtor," said Mr Prakash Singh, an American expatriate being employed by Hewlett Packard. 

This was in 1997 and he was one of those few American expatriates who used the internet to research Singapore housing and make appointments with an internet realtor to find a good home, from halfway round the world.  

He had emailed to get information on various houses and condos in Singapore and to go house-hunting on an exploratory tour. Various condos and houses were inspected. Multiple quotations and floor layout plans and brochures had to be faxed.

1997 was the pioneering years - the wild wild west of the internet.   I was struggling with the intricacies of the hypertext mark up language or "html" to build up my website http://www.asiahomes.com. The webpages were text-based, presented in a grey background with not much content and fanciful multi-coloured  and multi-sized fonts .

I did not appreciate the usefulness of the scanner to send images.  Neither could I afford it.

Now, in 2001, there is no need for me to use films  to photograph condos, get them developed at great cost, scanned and emailed to expatriate surfers.  This took days. Digital images from the digital cameras can be transmitted directly to the clients within seconds.

"Would you mind meeting my wife at the Changi International Airport to see some houses in Woodlands on her short stopover?" one of his emails asked. 
"Sure, when would she be reaching Changi Airport?" I emailed back.  I showed her and her child the various condos and houses in Singapore as we drove up to Woodlands where the American School is sited.

Now, Mr and Mrs Singh had found a house they liked and the Human Resource Manageress had told him that he should use the Company's retained realtors.

Mr Singh had not been warned not to use outside realtors and neither did I ask him. Was this the end of the road for me?

There was nothing for me to be angry about as I was not the retained realtor of  Hewlett Packard, Singapore.  It was the first time I knew that big successful multi-national companies that had grown big from a start up, now would not give opportunities to small start ups.   

I had had gone house hunting with expatriates who came on exploratory tours and job interviews.  Many  had been instructed by the Human Resource Managers to stick with the company retained realtors after spending much time with me.

No need to be depressed.  The internet had offered a vast opportunity to meet them electronically and in person, whereas just two years ago, they could not contact me.

"However," Mr Singh continued in a grave voice, as we sat outside the office of the Human Resource Department in Alexandria Road.  "I told the Human Resource Manageress that I had spent a lot of time house hunting with you and had found a house I like.  It is fair that I use your service to close on this house."

He was the only Hewlett Packard professional who had contacted me via email since 1997 but I remember him fondly for teaching me a lesson in ethics.   

After all, he did not have to pay any fee for house-hunting and it would just bad luck to me, an internet realtor.  Who plies her trade in the electronic highway of the world wide web.  Who only earns a commission if the case can be closed.

But this American national did care about the welfare of a start up internet realtor whose webpages were, of course, unprofessionally laid out.  I still shake my head when I see my earlier webpages and it was surprising that there was any American expatriate who would bother to do business with me.

The Human Resource Manageress taught me how to be compassionate as she did not enforce her policy of using the retained realtor.  By practising fair play, the American expatriate taught me how to be honorable in doing business.  Having a sense of what is right and wrong. 

P.S. How do asiahomes.com realtors practise fair play? If you have already fixed an appointment to show a condo with one realtor and later, another  co-broking realtor had the same apartment, you should just stick to the first realtor.

Expats relocating to Singapore.
Please contact your human resource manager as to whether you are permitted to use an outside realtor.



Jan 16 01.  
THE CLAYMORE near the American Club.
2 units for rent: 
3+1 $12,000
4+1 $17,000.
Click to see bigger picture:
The Claymore, Block B has unblocked city views



Jan 16 01: 
Upscale NASSIM WOODS. Penthouse for rent at $20,000. Tel: +65 9668 6468, email judy@asiahomes.com for updates or go house-hunting.

Expats relocating to Singapore.
The above mentioned condos in the story and many more are available for rent.  Click thumbnail to see bigger pictures of brand new condos near the American Club and downtown Orchard Road.

Tel: +65 9668 6468, email judy@asiahomes.com for updates.

You Got Tenant, House Owner? Looking for Tenants is like winning a war. You need to know where your enemies can be found. You need to advertise in www.asiahomes.com where prospects interested in Singapore properties are likely to be found. Why not place an affordable internet ad to contact prospects direct and save you a few thousand dollars in agency commission? Telephone +65 9668 6468, E-mail judy@asiahomes.com

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Revised: January 16, 2001. · Asiahomes Internet
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