TWO housing agents in Woodlands are the apparent victims of a smear campaign, aimed at residents in Housing Board blocks where many units are becoming eligible for resale on the open market.
Already bombarded by pamphlets and door-to-door visits, residents are now receiving anonymous fliers and seeing notes pasted in lifts that contain inflammatory remarks about the two agents.
'Dear neighbours, please beware of these two dishonest housing agents,' one flier read, stating the agents' names and cellphone numbers.
The agents in question are married couple Eric Chua, 36, and Jez Tan, 34, who work for Singapore Multiple Listing Services (SMLS) and DTZ Debenham Tie Leung respectively.
Madam S. Yeo, a resident at Block 688, Woodlands Drive 75 said fliers turn up almost every day.
She also gets visits about twice a month from property agents who try to persuade her to sell her unit, which will reach its five-year 'maturity point' later this year.
Under an HDB policy, flats that reach five years of age can be sold on the open market.
'Some agents called me and told me not to trust other agents,' said the 30-year-old housewife. 'I thought it was odd for them to say that. It's so unprofessional.' Last week, a new note appeared in residents' letterboxes, alleging that Mr Chua and Madam Tan used 'unethical tactics' and that they 'had been sacked'.
This is not true, according to their employers.
Mr Chua said: 'I'm really upset and feel victimised. The market is open to anyone and it's all fair play. There's no need for this.'
Madam Tan said: 'The accusations are completely untrue and we've been getting many clients. Maybe this was done out of jealousy.'
According to Mr Chua, a client told him that two rival agents working in the area had been bad-mouthing them.
'We confronted them around last June, but they denied it,' he said.
Then, in September, Madam Tan received calls from strangers who said her number appeared in male toilets, with offers of free sex.
Horrified, she filed a police report and after investigations, discovered her number scrawled on the toilet walls of some coffee shops in Toa Payoh and Woodlands.
'I haven't offended anyone. I don't understand why anyone would do that,' she said.
When interviewed, the rival agent in question denied any involvement.
'We circulate only our own ads for our services,' he told The Straits Times. He said he had also seen notes pasted in lifts that cited his name and bad-mouthed him, although he did not keep a copy of them.
Around 960 units in blocks 685 to 687 matured last year. Another 2,160 units in blocks 688 to 690 mature later this year.
C&H Realty managing director Albert Lu said it was common for competition to get fierce when housing agents home in on an area 'reaching maturity'.
'But bad-mouthing each other is not common and not professional,' he said. He advised home owners to employ agents registered under the Institute of Estate Agents or the Singapore Accredited Estate Agents (SAEA) scheme.
Both Mr Chua and Madam Tan are accredited under the SAEA scheme. The other two agents from the rival agency said they were not registered with any scheme.
Mr Eugene Lim, assistant vice-president of ERA Realty, sister company of SMLS, said it was hard to take any action in this case, as the notes were anonymous.
jcheam@sph.com.sg
