Why we buyers and investors need a club of our own

I was puzzled.

If property agents can have webpages to market their listings, if property developers can put up websites to showcase their projects, why can’t we property investors set up our blog to share experiences among ourselves?


Why this blog doesn’t have to woo the crowd

Two weeks ago, a journalist from Straits Times asked whether I have ever bought followers and page views for my blog.

Frankly, I don’t bother much about followers and pages views. I am not blogging about food, travel, beauty, fashion or IT gadgets that naturally draw crowds. There is also no glamorous look, breathtaking scenery or shocking video in my blog.

PropertySoul.com covers very serious topics – property buying advice, experience sharing, successful tips, traps and tricks, etc. – all are not easy on the brain and are likely to attract only the serious-minded who care about accumulating wealth through property investment.

I strongly believe that readership is about quality, not quantity. I prefer to have a small number of like-minded people who follow my blog because they understand and support my views, rather than having many followers but not many get the message behind my stories, metaphors and statements.


Why it is crucial to be independent

All sponsorships are reciprocal: If I take this, I have to do that in return. For that, I prefer to maintain a sponsor-free blog and remain independent.

I have been approached by companies marketing overseas properties, throwing in free trips, nice hotels and great parties. But I’d rather not have such sponsorship. I don’t want sponsors to determine why I blog, what I write, and how I say it about property investment.

If I am working for someone, I don’t have a choice. I have to tell my staff whatever my CEO wants me to say. But this blog is not accepting any ‘compensation’. That gives me the freedom to say exactly what I want, while putting the interest of my readers first.


Why everything they say in the media is biased

Different stakeholders in the property industry have their own vested interest. When they voice their opinions in the media, they aim to increase the mindshare and influence the public.

For instance, when property developers or marketers have a project to sell, they advertise in the papers and speak to the media to paint a rosy picture of the market they target.

However, I have never known any successful property investor who let slip of what he is buying into right now. On the contrary, I see property marketers telling others everyday what is profitable to buy right now – those properties that they are trying to sell in the market. Just listen to their forecasts and recommendations. You will know what they are going to offload from their portfolio.


What property seminar organizers have up their sleeve

They all work in the same way, don’t they?

1.Advertise aggressively in the paper and lure you to attend a free seminar.

2. Sell the ‘actual seminar’ at the free seminar charging thousands of dollars, but offer nothing more than one sales presentation after the other.

3. Sell you more and more overseas projects with a big margin in order to pocket huge commissions from you.

These so-called property experts all claim that they know the secret of success in property investment: buy projects with high return, buy with no money down, own multiple properties, profit from your HDB flat, be a property millionaire …

Honestly, I have never met anyone who becomes a property millionaire after attending a property seminar. The only winning formula I know is hard work, hard work and more hard work. It is never buy this, buy that and buy more at property seminars.

And can anyone tell me why we have to pay thousands of dollars to attend a property seminar that shares no secret of property investment but only sales pitches of property projects?

The CEA (Council for Estate Agencies) said that they have conducted onsite inspections at these seminars to ensure that the transactions comply with the Estate Agents Act. Is this all the regulatory authority can do?


Why we need to organize ourselves

All stakeholders in the property market, including the developers, agents, mortgagees, lawyers, and even renovation contractors, have their organization to represent their interest. But what about us – the buyers, investors and owners of private properties?

Property is probably the most expensive big ticket item we buy in our life. We spend more than 20 or 30 years to pay off our housing loan. We are the ‘consumers’ footing the bills. We use our hard earned money to support this industry. Aren’t we deserve to have a voice in the market too?

There are independent property clubs for property owners and investors in the US, UK, Australia and South Africa. But not in Singapore.

We should form a property club of our own, a club for the real buyers and investors. We should listen to neutral advice rather than biased views. We don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to learn about property investment and network with like-minded investors.

Property Club Singapore (http://propertyclubsg.com) is a neutral platform to provide buyers, investors and owners with facts, knowledge and skills in purchase, investment and management of private properties through education and networking. With regular learning and networking sessions, members can discuss topics of common interest, learn from real investors and share valuable experiences with each other. Let us support ourselves by joining the property club that truly belongs to us.