Are property agents telling you everything you should know to make an informed decision? After all, you know what they say: Your home is the biggest purchase you’ll ever make in your life. Hey, it wouldn’t be an overused Instagram caption if it weren’t true (for most of us, anyway).

Two property agents recently guested on YouTube channel You Got Watch’s latest episode of Spill It!, a series where people from different walks of life divulge secrets and debunk misconceptions about their professions.

The second guest is Jervis Ng (pictured above, right), who’s known as the millennial realtor — with his own YouTube channel to boot — who got into the business when he was looking for a part-time job to pay his student loans, and ended up staying in the business for five years and counting.

The pair revealed answers to questions that you’ve always wanted to know but probably don’t dare to ask your property agent.

#1: Are they required to reveal if someone has passed on in the unit before?
Sofian, who deals more with HDB and condos, says: “Normally, what the [senior property agents] tell us, if nobody asks, we probably are not at liberty to say. Some people are okay with people passing in the unit, some are not. So if they ask, then okay lah [we’ll tell them].”

Jervis, who deals mostly with private properties and new launches, elaborates: “If you’re representing the seller, and if the buyer doesn’t ask, you wouldn’t deliberately disclose it because we represent the seller’s interest. If the buyers ask, then of course, it’s our duty to disclose. But if you represent the buyer, then of course we have to find [out] everything, any problems as well.”

So if you haven’t realised by now, the easiest way to work around this is simple: Just ask.

#2: Is it true that most property agents just want to sell you the most expensive house for the most commission?
Absolutely false, according to both realtors. “We are here to stay in the long run,” Sofian explains. “We want referrals so we want to strike a good deal for our clients.” Jervis agrees. “If you try to sell a buyer the most expensive home, that may destroy the rapport and you may not be able to eventually close the deal.”

#3: If you think the lowballers on Carousell are bad, wait until you hear about this one.
When asked about the most ridiculous lowball price offer he’s received, Sofian recalls: “It was about $200k below market value [for a HDB flat]. I priced it at $600k and they offered $400k!”

Jervis has also encountered his fair share of lowballers for private properties, like a $63mil GCB (Good Class Bungalow) that he was selling. “Someone offered $20mil,” he says. “So I said, ‘Let me take you for a tour, and hopefully you’ll want to offer me $63mil.’ But he said no, $20mil take it or leave it. So, of course we left it.”

#4: How much does a property agent earn?
According to Jervis: “The average now is $50k per year per agent… I’d say it ranges from $50k a year all the way to maybe $4-5mil a year.”

#5: Have they sold properties that were once a crime scene or known to be haunted?
Both left it vague on this one, but recounted interesting anecdotes. Says Sofian: “I brought a buyer to see a unit at Sengkang. Somehow the buyers recognised it from an article — I think it was a murder case unit. So I think that was quite eerie.”

“I’ve heard of instances where the house is vacant but when the agent went in, the door just started slamming by itself,” Jervis reveals.

Watch the full video here:

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