SG Housing Agents are Unprofessional; Crap & Dirt!

In my quest to look for a place to stay, I have encountered many agents. I have come to one conclusion, most agents, if not all, are crap! I have heard of all of this before, from others who have had bad experience with them. But dealing with them really can cause you unnecessary pain and distress.

Let me enlighten you on some. It is a booming market here in SG, whether you want to rent of buy a place. Which has probably given the agents the right to grow a nose so high that they look upon any potential home seekers as dirt.

F**k you, agents. We are the customer! We are the ones paying you to find us a place, not the other way around. BTW, here in SG, both the landlord and the rentor both pays comission to the agent! Yes, it's dumb, but that's the practice here.

I came across an ad in the papers, claiming to have rooms in certain areas, etc. I called up and he said he had no more rooms now. Ok, so I told him if he had any rooms, he could let me know. He responded rudely saying he does not have time for this and insist that I call him to find out myself. Barger! Who is the customer now? Scrap one agent of my list.

Then I decided to post online to potential landlords to contact me directly. In the end, another agent called me, at 11.10pm at nite. He called up and told me that he had a room to view NOW! He did not even introduce himself, and I was still wondering who the f**k he was. He just said that the owner is coming home at 11.30pm and ask me to go there immediately. I told him it was late but he insist I get there by 11.30pm. I told him no and he said he'll called me back. Till now, there's no call. As**ole!

When I first arrived here in SG, I was a bit surprised why every ad that I called in the papers was an agent. It seems to be a norm here in SG that nearly 99% of all potential landlords engage agents to find suitors for their unit. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can become an agent. You do not need a license or training. All you need is a unit for rent or a rentor. Then why the heck are the landlord still engaging agents?

Most agents, if not all, are independent agents. Meaning that they do not have any agency or a damn big database of customers. He could be having only ONE unit for rent, which is probably his neighbour's or his friend's. Even those that tie up with housing agents, are only for namesake, so that they have a nicer namecard! Or they can reccommend a potential rentor to another agent who has a room, whom he happened to bump into at the agency. Then they can share the commission.

When you engage an agent, what most of them do is post an ad online, at no cost (which you and I can do easily, without costs as well) or stick an ad the size of a post it note on the notice board at the bus stands. But they still prefer to engage agents. Beats the heck out of me why they do it. Maybe they feel proud that an agent got them a rentor or an agent can get them a better rentor.

Wake up landlords! Agents do not do what you can do yourself! He does not screen your potential rentors. He sends you the first person who calls him. He could be a mass murderer or the unabomber, and the agent won't even care. All he cares is his commission.

In Malaysia, if I wanted to rent my room out, I would just hang a sign in front of the house. I can post online myself as well. If I post an in the papers, it would be maybe RM20 for one whole week! It's still cheaper than paying the damn agent.

Unlike Malaysia, it is very much easier to advertise. There's more or less only 1-2 major newspapers to advertise. And there are only a few prominent websites to advertise. It is so simple my 12 year old nephew could probably get me a dozen tenants to choose from. I still cannot understand the logic in someone paying an agent in this hot market. SG landlords, wake up lar! Stop pampering the damn agents. Let them know who's boss!