Arriving in Singapore from Australia in June 2010 was a daunting experience. Not only did I need to familiarise myself with the local surroundings and adjust to a job outside Australia for the first time, I needed also to look for an apartment for rent.

I was under strict instructions from my wife, still back in Australia, to find “something nice”. Yes – that was the full extend of her instructions! As most husbands would know, even the pressure of a new life – and job – in a different country, comes a distant second to the pressure arising from being in charge of finding somewhere suitable for the family to live for the coming years! The wrong decision would be very costly indeed. I could imagine my wife’s disappointed look as she walked into our new apartment I’d chosen and secretly wishing she had a husband who had taste! My wife wouldn’t make a big deal of it of course…but I would know by the odd sideways glances, the disappointed look in her eyes, or the lack of enthusiasm when she introduced me to her new friends.

We did the usual apartment hunting preparation before leaving Australia. This included asking family and friends where they thought was a good place to live in Singapore. Of course everyone has a different opinion on where’s the best place to live, so this was quite unsuccessful. We also studied various websites, including iProperty.com.sg, the business I was to come to Singapore to lead as Country Manager. After working in senior roles in a large media company in Australia for 7 years running classified advertising for newspapers and websites, I was confident the internet was all we needed to find the right place.

Searching through the properties on the Singapore internet, the first thing that struck me was the relatively poor way properties were displayed. Many agents didn’t include photos of the apartment for rent – or present the properties in a way where their listing stood out from others. In most cases agents had used stock photos of the outside of the condo – or the sign out the front! If we were planning on camping on the street outside a condo, these photos would have been very helpful indeed! However, every apartment is differently furnished which means we really needed interiors photos to gain any real understanding of each property’s attributes.

Upon arriving in Singapore I was provided with hotel accommodation from the company. The hotel was right near Orchard Rd, so I got to see the incredible nightlife that thrives there every night of the week, taste some wonderful hawker food and be astounded at the price of a beer! I also learned that I should have left my winter clothes in Australia – as the heat was something that was going to take some getting used to!

Before long I was fortunate enough to find an apartment – through a very helpful and professional agent. I learned that older condos often have larger living spaces, so after viewing many different condos, chose Hillcrest Arcadia - surrounded by lush greenery along Arcadia road and well positioned for my travel to my office in Novena. You can’t put a price on a happy wife they say! And of course that’s true. My wife and daughter are very pleased with my choice – and I’ve gained a few valuable “points” by choosing well.

My experience caused me to think about was the way property agents, sellers, renters and buyers work together in the Singapore market. When I was browsing the properties on the iProperty.com.sg site, I noted that the same apartment was advertised by several agents. Naturally, when choosing which agent I was to deal with, I was attracted to the one who presented the property in the best way – with interior photos and a well-considered and thorough property description. The agent who ultimately received the commission obviously realized that if they could present the property better than other agents, they will stand out – and of course get the lion’s share of leads.

Conversely, sellers of property should ensure they choose an agent who will advertise the property to the largest possible audience and through that advertising, make it stand out and look great.

So, if you are an agent wanting to gain more listings from sellers, you should clearly show them how you will advertise their property to the largest audience (including Singapore’s leading property website, iProperty.com.sg of course!) and that you will present their home to prospective buyers much better than other agents.

If you are looking to choose an agent to represent you from the pool of 28,000 agents in Singapore, you should always ensure that they use every tool to gain the best possible result. Make sure they take many photos, ask to see ads of the property before they are published and how the agent has chosen to describe it to potential buyers. And certainly do not choose an agent who is not going to advertise on the internet. All agents should be advertising your property on the internet. In fact, the way to show your property to the largest audience in Singapore is by ensuring it appears on the top two websites.

The postscript to my apartment story is that my landlord has the apartment up for sale! Of course we ensured that Kevin, the agent, has taken interior photos and presented the property well! You can see it here: www.iproperty.com.sg/propertylisting/1283394/Hillcrest_Arcadia-Condominium-ForSale