At 3 p.m, the Landlord signed the lease. The Landlord phoned me to re-confirm that I had deposited the 2 months' security deposit cheque at 5 p.m. I said yes. The Landlord provided the personalised services of picking the new tenants from their Jurong apartment to hand over the unit. There were 6 calls from expats within the last 3 days.
Time is of the essence in many decisions in life.
For expats who have found their choice homes, they must be able to act fast to secure the unit. Your body language is equally important to the landlord as many sophisticated ones are looking for good tenants to look after their unit well. Caucasians, in my experience, seldom criticise the apartments in the presence of the landlord. After criticism, it may not be a good idea to make an offer. Take the apartment warts and all and do not comment in front of the landlord.