PROPERTY developers, by virtue of their particular trade, have a habit of getting creative in marketing campaigns. In recent, fairly typical instances, two property companies advertised projects as being near unconfirmed locations of future MRT stations. The real estate business knows private property by train stations is highly valued, even if buyers are car owners. Being flexible with the truth in advertising has no place in an industry that meets a prime social goal besides being a plank of the economy.
Following a report carried in this newspaper, the two firms stopped using misleading transport information as a selling point. This is all to the good, particularly after a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman dismissed the advertised claims as ‘wild guesses’. Putting out unconfirmed MRT site information is not the only ploy resorted to. It has become a common – and even acceptable – industry practice for advertised properties to be depicted as being ensconced in verdant greenery when in reality, the ‘greenery’ is man-made infrastructure such as busy thoroughfares and tall buildings. Schematic diagrams frequently show schools, shopping malls, eating places and other amenities to be closer Continue reading
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