# Recommended Singapore Real Estate Agent



## Barry_Prophet

Hi,

My partner and I (from Melbourne) are looking to move to Singapore for work opportunities, and were wondering if anyone could recommend us to any good real estate agents for rental condos?

We have no kids but will be bringing our dog, so we'd need a 2 bedroom condo with a decent size covered balcony (fully furnished).

Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.


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## simonsays

In Singapore, not all condos allow dogs .. and .. the size of the dog matters..

the bigger the dog, the lesser the chance of you getting off without a 'big dog' permit .. never mind that people will swear that German Shepherds are like babies .. it only takes one dog to big a Jack Russell .. and the latter is mince meat .. 

So, do some read up on AVA, about the dog rules .. 

Plus, I would wonder if you are rushing booking your apartment before getting your job ? 

Wouldn't a week of recce give you a better feel of how the property marrket goes ?

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of agents who specialise in "Expat Rental" = high priced rental, and they will be horrified to know that not all expats earn 5 figure monthly pay .. or 6 figure monthly pay .. !!

And without a job, you are digging your own grave, as firstly, the rentals go up as it is considered short term rental, and most likely, the deposit could be held in limbo if you don't extend / sign up .. or change your mind .. 

I would still say a hotel stay, minus your dog, and have a feel, goes a long way .. 

Though I maybe wrong ..


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## Barry_Prophet

Thanks for your response ecureilx but I probably should've been more specific. My bad!

My partner and I will have secured jobs by the time we move to Singapore and we plan on staying for at least 2 years.

We're hoping to enlist a real estate agent to help us find our ideal condo but don't know which one to use.

We've got an Australian Bulldog (20kgs) so it would be classed as a medium size dog.


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## simonsays

Ah .. makes sense .. i would still suggest you to do a weekend recce, before packing your bags .. not there are unscrupulous agents abound here, but .. property agents make money by 'up-selling' and I wouldn't be surprised if they all start to recommend 20,000 $ bungalow apartments .. 

And locking yourself with an agent can be a double-edged sword .. with the tight rules, agents are bit stuck for $, and they tend to co-broke .. and if you see an apartment which you like your appointed agent will want to be "IN" .. legally 

The 20 KG Bulldog is a "LARGE DOG" though you classify it as MEDIUM SIZED DOG !!! Welcome to Singapore ..


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## Singapore Saint

Hi Barry,

Just a bit of advice about the dog, there aren't too many places where you can let them off the lead legally... I had a Boxer dog when I lived in Singapore, and he needed lots of exercise.. however, if you don't have a car, it can sometimes take a while to find a cab who will take a dog.

There is a good-sized dog run at West Coast Park near West Coast Highway, this is the biggest one around. Otherwise, I took mine up to the old racecourse at Turf City (Bukit Timah area) where the AVA tended to turn a blind eye to us letting the dogs off the lead. 

Other than those two areas, Tanjong Beach on Sentosa is also regarded as a dog-friendly beach, as long as your dog stays vaguely near you, but if they run off out of control and cause havoc, expect a ticking off..

Ecurelix is right that it can be difficult to find condos that will allow pets at all, let alone large dogs, but I know people with Wizlas, Weimeranas, Ridgebacks etc, even a Great Dane, who are all in condos.. it might be worth offering up front to put down rugs to protect the marble floors, door protector's etc when speaking to your agent.

We used Eastgate Realty when we moved from UK, because my wife's bank used them across the board. They are pretty good, gave us an English agent, and are used to working with expats new to the country, but again, backing up Ecurelix, worth making sure that they show you the cheaper stuff - they will normally show you places that use up your budget, rather than any gems for a chunk less..


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## simonsays

Singapore Saint said:


> Ecurelix is right that it can be difficult to find condos that will allow pets at all, let alone large dogs, but I know people with Wizlas, Weimeranas, Ridgebacks etc, even a Great Dane, who are all in condos.. it might be worth offering up front to put down rugs to protect the marble floors, door protector's etc when speaking to your agent.


Ridgeback ?? Like the Rhodesian Ridgeback ?? man .. that's a Lion Hunting dog


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## Barry_Prophet

Hi Singapore Saint,

Thanks a bunch for your tips.

I have done some research and come to accept the fact that there aren't a lot of dog parks in Singapore, but fortunately, Australian Bulldogs are relatively lazy dogs and require minimal exercise. Nevertheless, it would be a bonus if we were able to secure a place near a "pet friendly" park.

Cheers.


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## simonsays

Barry: the issue with the dog being lazy or not .. is not what matters most ..

what matters is what AVA thinks about your dog, and well, the main issue is, since Singapore is pretty cramped up .. you got to adopt .. 

Did you get time to read up on the Dog Licenses + insurance for dog .. at the AVA site ?


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## Barry_Prophet

I've had a read through the AVA website and all the requirements will be comfortably met.

Migrating from Australia does have its benefits!


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## simonsays

Australia .. has benefits .. like .. being the most quarantined country ??   

let me know if you need any more info

My Austrian Colleague has a German Shepherd, and went through the process of the License/insurance and the whole works .. 

PS: Australian Bulldogs aren't the regular miniature bulldogs .. right ??


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## Barry_Prophet

Ecureilx,

No, my Australian bulldog is about 90% british bulldog and 10% boxer (very similar to a pure bred british bulldog but with a longer snout, a little smaller and free from many of the hereditary issues suffered by pure breeds).

I know an annual licence costs $50 but could you ask your friend from Austria about other costs associated with importing a dog to Singapore and which "pet relocating" company they used to transport their german shepherd?

Thanks.


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## Singapore Saint

Barry_Prophet said:


> Ecureilx,
> 
> No, my Australian bulldog is about 90% british bulldog and 10% boxer (very similar to a pure bred british bulldog but with a longer snout, a little smaller and free from many of the hereditary issues suffered by pure breeds).
> 
> I know an annual licence costs $50 but could you ask your friend from Austria about other costs associated with importing a dog to Singapore and which "pet relocating" company they used to transport their german shepherd?
> 
> Thanks.


Hi Barry,

Although I liaised with my breeder and took care of the Singapore end myself, I know what its like trying to arrange import of a dog if you're not in the country, having just moved to Japan! (Mine arrived today, fortunately all in one piece!) 

A couple of friends have used Jetpets (based in Australia) to get their pups in to Singapore, they offer a door-to-door service, and they seemed very happy with them.


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## Barry_Prophet

Do tenants pay a "finders" fee to agents or does the landlord cover this?


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## simonsays

legally, for rental less than 2,500, CEA says tenants don't need to pay .. of course, a lot of 'industrious' agents found ways to flout the law, and a lot of expats do fall for that .. as they are told "it is normal in Singapore for tenants to pay ... "

And the CEA law of 'no dual representation' i.e. the same agent cannot collect commission from the landlord as well as the tenant is often violated by more innovative means .. 

And the oft quoted reply is "well, foreigners can afford to pay .. so just pay .. " 

Oh, CEA -> www.cea.gov.sg


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## ClaireSg

Dear Barry, 

After seeing through your post, I realized that there's no solution to your question posted.
I do agree that there are some Rude real estate salesperson out there. But to each it's own. I'm sure there's all sorta people in every trade.

I'm a real estate sales person and yes I have a dog too. Heh. I hope you found your ideal place by now.


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## veronicax

Barry_Prophet said:


> Hi,
> 
> My partner and I (from Melbourne) are looking to move to Singapore for work opportunities, and were wondering if anyone could recommend us to any good real estate agents for rental condos?
> 
> We have no kids but will be bringing our dog, so we'd need a 2 bedroom condo with a decent size covered balcony (fully furnished).
> 
> Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.



Barry, I just completed an Singapore Expat book that states dogs have to be quauintened for 30 days on arrival from most countries


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## Singapore Saint

veronicax said:


> Barry, I just completed an Singapore Expat book that states dogs have to be quauintened for 30 days on arrival from most countries


Australia is one of the countries that is exempt from this, (along with NZ, UK and Republic of Ireland), a quarantine period is definitely not required as long as the vaccination requirements have been met. Vaccs that aren't up to date is about the only thing that can delay entry.

I brought my pup in to Singapore from Australia in 2010, several friends also brought in pups from Australia that year and a quarantine period was definitely not required.


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## Singapore Saint

This link has more info:

Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore - Information For Travellers

If you click through to the link "Veterinary Conditions for the Importation of Dogs and Cats for countries under Category A", it states on the 2nd page: "No quarantine if all the veterinary regulations are complied with and the animals are clinically healthy on arrival."

Hope this clears it up!


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