It is best you build up excellent client relationships with a large number of individual expatriates who prefer personalised and efficient and prompt services. Referrals may be all you need to keep busy if you are a sole operator. Be aware of the incredible power of the Internet. Relocating expatriates seldom use one rental realtor exclusively. With the internet, they can become very good at locating realtors and owners.
Internet portals cater to owners and agents providing free information.
This will be one main reason why your advertisement in the Straits Times newspaper to co-broke seldom get any response as Owners also place the same advertisement. Agents with tenant clientele will, of course, contact Owners direct. It is possible that there will be realty firms which can harness its power and get most of your prospects in 5 years' time. But nobody can provide that personalised customer-oriented service to prospective tenants that you can. The above 2 trends of using the big firms and outsourcing must mean less bread for the self employed realtors.