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For Homebuyers: 8 Essential Tips for Better Home Hunting Research

Team MOGUL

The internet has changed the way we do things; from grocery shopping to making payments for our daily expenses. It has also allowed home buyers to do research before making an on-site visit.


With the ability to explore the neighbourhood and amenities, find properties with the latest transaction prices, home hunting research has never been easier.


In today’s article, we look at some essential tips on better home hunting research.

1. Know what you want


The foremost important thing is to know what you want.


Firstly, decide on a couple of areas where you want to live; whether it is in the city centre (CCR) or in the heartland (OCR).


Once you have a location in mind, set a budget and you can begin doing research.



Make a list of your requirements and know the difference between your needs and wants. Needs should be the priority, and wants is good to have but not critical.


2. Online property platforms


There are numerous property platforms that you can visit and most of them offer similar tools like searching by location or district, price range and property type.



For a better search experience, you can use MOGUL.sg with its smart search functions that allow you to search by keywords and find exactly what you are looking for within seconds.


For example, you can enter keywords like unlocked view; balcony, north-south MRT line, and listings that match your keywords will appear, filtering out those irrelevant ones.


MOGUL.sg also comes with 3D maps that provide an immersive view of the surroundings in a dynamic visual platform. Users will be able to digitally navigate through HDB flats’ void decks, see the view from a specific floor of a building or apartment, and even find out which direction the sun shines on the building.



3D maps allow homebuyers to look outward from within each property to appreciate the virtual view and outward-facing line of sight -- from any floor in the building.


3. Other property platforms


While browsing property platforms is the quickest way to find listings, do not neglect other platforms such as Classified ads and general portals such as Carousel, Gumtree etc.


Most property agents and direct sellers often post their listings in multiple places in a bid to cast the net wider.



Some of these websites offer free postings and sellers usually take advantage of it to have their listings present. Of course, there will be duplicate listings but there is a chance that your dream home could be found there.


4. New and old listings


Do not make the mistake of just looking at the most recent postings.


Some property portals charge agents a ton of money to have the listings a the top of the very first page. Oftentimes, the listings are not what the searcher is looking for.


The common thought here is that old listings are properties that are undesirable and that’s why it is still on the market for a long time. There could be several reasons why the listings are still on the market such as unrealistic pricing.


So do not rule out older listings and check them out to see if they fit your requirements.


5. Public data


You can the HDB and URA websites to find out the latest transacted prices in the neighbourhood that you are eyeing.





With this information, you will know if the budget you set aside is realistic for the locations you are interested in. For HDB resale prices, you can visit here.


Here, you can research the latest transacted prices in every HDB town or neighbourhood according to the property type, such as the number of bedrooms and size.


For private properties, you can visit the URA website. Here, you will find information such as the latest transacted prices, date of transactions, unit price by psf and floor levels.


6. On-site visit



Many people make use of google maps to recce the neighbourhoods that you are interested in.


They use the street view function and study the surrounding area for amenities and distance to nearby schools.


That is all and good but nothing beats an on-site visit. You can have an actual feel on the ground, such as traffic volume, noise level, who the neighbours are etc.


These are things that you cannot find out by using Google Maps.


7. Get a firsthand account


During the on-site visit, if you have the opportunity, talk to the residents there to get a first-hand account of what it feels like to live there.


You may find unexpected information such as upcoming developments, new schools opening etc.


8. Engage a GTA (geographic target area) agent



GTA agents are agents specialised in a certain location. They are updated with the latest transactions and units for sale in the area. They know the neighbourhood very well and can guide you on the average time a listing is on the market, how much to negotiate etc.


When buying a property, it is important to do research and the above are tips to help you research better. Happy house hunting!


For more property news, resources and useful content like this article, check out MOGUL.sg blog here.


Have a question? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook post.

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