With the plethora of analytical tools now available to agents and consumers in the real estate market, it is easy to boil down each new project into data points; size, location, distance from an MRT Station, etc.
Yet, purchasing property can still be a profoundly personal decision. For many, the choice can affect family planning, choice of schools for their children and financial health. Each buyer is unique in their needs and preferences.
“Finding the right project and unit for each buyer is about striking the right balance for their needs,” says Charlene Ho, branch division director at ERA. “One buyer’s dream home might not suit another.”
To get a good grasp on the kinds of project that would best fit her clients, it is important to probe deeper past preferences like budget and location, says Ho.
“When I talk to my clients, I tend to probe much deeper than superficial requirements like budget, preferred location and unit size,” says Ho. “I ask about their lifestyle, their financial goals, if they plan to start a family, and so on. Such details help me guide them through the process of selecting a flat that meets all their needs and more.”
Ho keeps a mental tally of most projects in the new launch market. In doing so, she can quickly identify which would best appeal to the home buyer in front of her. (Picture: Charlene Ho)
Bespoke recommendations
Once she has a better grasp of her client’s desires, Ho can then begin recommending projects, narrowing down her suggestions based on their feedback.
“For example, if they say that the project’s starting price is too high, I will know to not recommend projects with a higher price point,” explains Ho. “This way, I can quickly identify a few more projects for them to see.”
Ho keeps a mental tally of most projects in the new launch market. In doing so, she can quickly identify which would best appeal to the home buyer in front of her.
This requires her to constantly keep up to date with new condo launches as they come out, taking note of the unique selling points of each. This year alone, more than 30 projects are expected to launch across the island.
Ho is a well-informed and intuitive advisor who tailors property recommendations through constant market research and a deep understanding of her clients’ evolving needs. (Picture: Charlene Ho)
“During my free time, I read through reviews online, visit new launch showrooms and speak to buyers and other agents in the industry to keep my finger on the pulse on the market,” says Ho. “More often than not, my research overlaps with my clients’. In such cases, I can often pre-empt their concerns or worries about certain projects because I’ve heard it before.”
Her bespoke recommendations help to hasten the selection process by only showing her clients units in projects that precisely suit their budget and needs. This also means that she is able to recommend alternative choices to her clients that they might not have considered before. At times, a clients’ list of priorities might change when presented with good substitutes.
“While some agents like to specialize in certain districts or market segments, I keep a mental tally of projects across the island,” adds Ho. “Quite often I’ve had buyers initially interested at projects in the Core Central Region (CCR) fall in love with a condo in the Outside of Central Region (OCR) because it turns out that they prefer a wider selection of amenities over the prestige of a District 11 address.”
Ho’s YouTube channel is more than just property talk — it’s a platform for empowering homeowners and investors with timely, expert-backed knowledge. (Picture: Charlene Ho)
Connecting with a broad client base
Ho’s expertise in the new launch market has helped her cultivate a broad client base, including high net worth individuals in the luxury market.
“The consideration of clients looking in the upper end of the market can be quite different,” says Ho. “Some are Singaporean buyers who are looking to secure an address near their schools of choice for their children.”
The attraction of highly sought after schools located in the prime district is a large enough draw for alumni that they are willing to buy property in the area so that their children can attend.
“To them, the networking opportunities for their children is priceless,” Ho explains.
In a similar vein, she is seeing an influx of foreigners applying for citizenship or Permanent Residency status in order to purchase a property in the CCR.
“To foreigners who want to set up businesses here, the prestige and stature gained from owning a downtown address is worth more than the slower capital appreciation we’ve seen in the segment,” says Ho.
Ho keeps a mental tally of most projects in the new launch market. In doing so, she can quickly identify which would best appeal to the home buyer in front of her. (Picture: Charlene Ho)
Last year, the non-landed residential market in the CCR grew 4.5% y-o-y, lagging behind the RCR segment, which saw a 5.8% y-o-y rise in prices. The trend persisted in 2025 with URA flash estimates recording a faster price growth in the RCR (1%) than the CCR (0.6%) over the first three months of the year.
However, Ho believes that this trend could begin to reverse. The CCR has already shown signs of price recovery. According to data tabulated by URA Realis, the median psf-price of units in the market segment hit a low point of $2,122 psf in 2Q2024 after peaking the year before. Prices have since rebounded, reaching a median psf-price of $2,370 psf across the first three months of this year, marking an 11.7% recovery.
The price growth in the CCR this year was supported by new launches, such as the 188-unit Aurea, the residential component of the redeveloped Golden Mile Singapore and the continued sales of existing CCR projects such as the 101-unit 19 Nassim, 14-unit 32 Gilstead, 54-unit Park Nova, and 367-unit The Collective at One Sophia.
“As more foreigners attain their PR status or become new citizens, we are seeing a building pent-up demand arising from the meager number of new luxury condo launches in the CCR last year,” observes Ho. “With quite a variety of options expected to launch in the CCR this year, we can expect to see more transactions in the segment, pushing up resale prices as well.”
For more information,
Contact Charlene Ho | 90669997
Branch Division Director (R061170D)
ERA REALTY NETWORK PTE LTD
