Commentary & Analysis

Most of the articles I have written over the last decade focus on the positive aspects, or positive ways to approach real estate and law in Thailand. It is on rare occasions that I will focus on a negative point, as I believe negativity is contagious. In order to write this piece on a topic I feel strongly about, I have had to try hard in order to make the theme forward thinking and positive, whilst linking the origins of thought to a negative experience that I believe many consumers in the real estate market in Thailand have shared. Here goes…

SERIOUSLY, has there ever been a longer title for a show? At 12 or 13 syllables, depending on how you pronounce ''Australia'', LifeStyle's latest adaptation of a British property format - Location, Location, Location Australia - hardly rolls off the tongue. ''Our rule is 40 letters, which is how many letters you can get on the EPG [electronic program guide] and we just got on,'' says LifeStyle's director of commissioning, Emma Westcott.

Buyer Inquiries on the Rise This year, nearly six in 10 (59 percent) respondents report an uptick in buyer inquiries compared to this time last year. This is a significant increase from only 44 percent reporting increases in 2011, and 43 percent in 2010. At the same time, only 15 percent say they are getting fewer inquiries than a year ago, down from nearly three in 10 (29 percent) for the prior two years.

I was recently invited by the Institute of Estate Agents (IEA) to be one of the panel judges for the Realtor of the Year award. Along with my fellow judges, I was given the sacred task of interviewing and identifying a suitable candidate who embodied the values of a model realtor. Apart from being top performers (in terms of commissioned earned), they also had to be professional in conduct and provide warm and personable service.