How to Enquire on HDB Listings Effectively when Searching for a Home
ARE YOU FRUSTRATED BECAUSE
1. The Enquiries you send for homes you are keen on via PropertyGuru are mostly ignored and unanswered by Seller or Seller Agents?
2. You don’t even get to view the homes you want to view because of the lack of response by Sellers?
3. For some reason, your offer never ever gets accepted and you cannot secure the home you want to secure?
4. Before you can even offer, the home you wanted to secure has “already been optioned”?
When supplies of good homes are relatively low in the market, the Sellers and Seller Agents have a little more “power” than buyers as they get to dictate:
- Which offers to consider
- Who to respond to
- Viewing Timings
That means that buyers need to adapt and understand how to come out on top of the situation to secure units that you want to secure.
Read on for the secrets to a smooth viewing experience!
A MARKET LIKE THIS CAN BE TOUGH
HERE ARE SOME TRICKS TO HELP YOU:
1. Increase your chances of Seller agents replying you
2. Increase your chances of securing at least a viewing
3. Increase your chances of your offer being considered/accepted
4.Increase your chances at securing a home before someone else takes it!
ENQUIRE UNITS “CORRECTLY”
Provide as much information as possible in your first message instead of sending the default PropertyGuru message.
Things to include:
(1) HFE Done
(2) Ethnic Group for HDB Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP)
(3) Check if Unit is still available (Don’t assume unit is still available)
(4) Check on other requirements you need to know (Ie. Rough Floor Level, West Sun, Extension etc)
It’s important to include the above information especially to inform Sellers if you have done your HFE. Sellers usually give more priority to “Ready Buyers” who have done their HFE and provide relevant info in the enquiry.
Here is an Example:
”Hello! ☺️ My name is JJ and I am keen to view your unit 🏦! Am a Chinese/Malay/Indian/Others family with HFE all done! May I check if unit is still available?
Would also like to kindly check on the following:
- Rough floor level
- Submission days and Extension needed?
- Maindoor Facing?
Thank you very much!”
PROVIDE A REASONABLE OFFER
Understand how your Offer stands in the market and don’t haggle/lowball like it’s Carousell especially if you really like the unit. Check if the listing price is:
(1) Negotiable
(2) Starting From
(3) Non-Negotiable
Make a Reasonable offer based on the listing price, your finances, timeline and past transactions in the market. Chances of your offer being accepted are higher if you make a reasonable offer and can also accommodate to Sellers requests such as Extensions and Longer Submission Periods.
As a Direct buyer, you are unable to access certain types of Property transaction data but if you have an agent representing you, your agent can help you check recent transactions in the region to come up with a good price offer strategy, helping you secure the unit at good value!
BE POLITE AND NICE
Very understated but important: Be Polite and Nice when enquiring and during viewing
Especially if you are gunning for a good unit where competition is strong, being nice and polite while communicating with the seller and seller agent really goes a long way.
Humans are emotional creatures afterall and if you are generally nice and polite, the other party would more likely listen to your offer and be more willing to negotiate rather than just shut you down.
Case Study: I have experienced a situation where the buyer was intentionally rude during viewing and he also pointed out all the flaws of the unit in front of the sellers, thinking that by pointing out the flaws, he can negotiate the price lower. Even though in the end, this particular buyer offered the highest price amongst other buyers, the Seller refused to sell the unit to this buyer as he was rude and did not respect the home and viewing process.
UNDERSTAND YOUR TIMELINE & FINANCES BEFORE YOU EVEN START VIEWING
Before you even start searching for units, understand your Timeline and Finances inside out!
If you are a first time buyer:
(1) Understand your Eligibility and don’t waste time enquiring and viewing units you are not eligible for. You might not be eligible for certain units due to EIP, Income Requirements and other considerations.
(2) It can take up to 1 WHOLE YEAR to purchase a Re-sale HDB depending on your situation. Avoid viewing units that CANNOT Match your timeline.
If you are Selling to Buy:
(1) You will need to match your Selling timeline with your Buying timeline to ensure smooth flow of funds and administration. If the timelines are not matched well, it can potentially cause a lot of issues that might cause you to lose the unit you are keen on as well as your option money.
(2) Ensure that you take note of any CPF OA Funds, Cash Funds, Accrued Interest, COV, Household Income, Loan amount, Renovation cost, Agent Fee and other important financial considerations to ensure you are not overstretching your finances.
Purchasing a Home can be tough and sometimes frustrating in this marketWith these best practices, You can:
Increase your chances of Seller agents replying you
Increase your chances of securing at least a viewing
Increase your chances of your offer being considered/accepted
Increase your chances at securing a home before someone else takes it!
STILL NEED HELP?
Call Jboi for a free and non-obligatory consultation Session!
WhatsApp Me +65 8923 1508 or Email Me jboihomes@gmail.com
