Category Archives: General

Barring same-agent property brokerage not practical

Posted on 29 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Barring same-agent property brokerage not practical

I REFER to last Saturday’s editorial, ‘The problem in same-agent property brokerage’.

While I welcome and support the Ministry of National Development’s draft plan to regulate real estate brokerage, including a radical suggestion to prohibit an agent from acting for both seller and buyer in HDB resale transactions, I doubt its effectiveness in practice.

It may delay resale transactions and result in lost opportunities. Besides, there is no guarantee that co-broking or unethical practice will be completely wiped out.

The trade rigidity will inconvenience both parties – the genuine sellers and buyers – as both sides will have to wait for suitable buyers and sellers to seal a transaction.

However, if win-win solutions can be found to expedite genuine transactions, there is no dispute that the public will favour a separation of agent functions. Continue reading →

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New council set up to speed up devt of green buildings in S’pore

Posted on 28 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on New council set up to speed up devt of green buildings in S’pore

Singapore has set up a new council to help accelerate the “greening” of buildings in Singapore.

Buildings in the city-state are the second largest guzzlers of electricity – after the industrial sector. But this is also the area where energy use can be easily reduced.

A UN study has concluded that energy consumption in new and old buildings can be lowered by 30 to 50 per cent without significantly increasing investment costs.

Trane, an exhibiting company that cools about half of the buildings fronting Orchard Road said an average investment of S$2 million to reduce energy use in buildings is usually recouped within eight months to three years.

Speaking at the inaugural International Green Building Conference on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said: “This is not rocket science but it does require steady and consistent policies and effort. Continue reading →

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