Author: Jack Sheo

Auntie Ann pulled me aside after the paperwork was done.

She thanked me.

Not the kind of thank you you say at the end of a transaction.

Something quieter than that.

It was Deepavali. 6 pm. Light drizzle.

I was there to take back a rental townhouse.

The backstory is a little tangled, the way rental situations often are.

A master tenant. A subtenant. A lease that had technically ended two days earlier.

I saw the newspaper before I saw anything else.

It was the Straits Times classified section, open on the dining table.

The unit was empty, just a small round table and three chairs in an otherwise bare 2,500 sqft condominium.

This day turned out to be historical and memorable.

It was no shabby offer. It was higher than the last price recorded in March 2020 before Covid-19 Circuit Breaker and 14.8% higher than the last offer brought in by the seller’s previous sole agent in December 2019.

A disturbing pattern emerged as I delved deeper into the scammer’s tactics.

They would seek out unsuspecting tenants who had posted “rental property wanted” ads, luring them in with beautiful pictures and attractive prices.

As a property agent in Singapore, I’ve seen my fair share of negotiation tactics. Buyers want to buy low, while sellers want to sell high.

Today, I want to share a story that highlights the potential pitfalls of using low-ball offers when trying to secure your dream home.

I was doing research late one night.

Scrolling through listings. Looking at how properties were being presented online.

The usual quiet work that doesn’t make it into any conversation but takes up more hours than it should.

Then a set of photos stopped me.

I stood in an empty apartment holding someone else’s keys.

I walked the rooms alone. Checked the fittings, the finishes, the things that needed to be flagged. Took notes. Took photos.

Did the job.