Holding the Key to Exclusive Living Ina Hammer from Norway and Marida Jacobs from Denmark enjoy helping Scandinavian customers of Citiprop finding their dream home in Singapore. Both of them love living in Singapore which makes their recommendations come from the heart. By Joakim Persson
“W
e are so privileged to live here – we’re so spoilt for choice,” says Ina Hammer. “Life doesn’t get any better than this!” echoes Marida Jacobs. Ina Hammer and Marida Jacobs are truly enthusiastic about Singapore. Not just because they are both “selling the city” to recently arrived families and foreign investors as real estate agents with Citiprop. Both married to British men and both left their home countries, Norway and Denmark, at a young age. Contrary to most so called ‘trailing spouses’ they also have their own careers. “When I grew up in Norway, I always dreamt of living somewhere hot, among palm trees,” says Ina, even though London was the first stop on her life abroad. But in 1999 her husband was offered a position in Singapore and the first thing she saw when they landed – was palm trees. Since then she has been in the tropics, including a stint in the Caribbean. But while there she “missed Singapore every single day”. A recent lifestyle survey from The Urban Development Authority also showed that both Singaporeans and foreigners found Singapore to be a much loved home and with a growing sense of belonging. The level of satisfaction is increasing, indicating that efforts to remake the place into a more vibrant city is succeeding.
Marida could not agree more: “Look at what they’ve accomplished to bring in business; the casinos, the Formula One, biomedical industry, banking, the arts etc. – it’s incredible and a very positive city for business. And the government gives lots of incentives.” Ina thinks Singapore on the whole is a much more vibrant society compared to a decade ago. “The way Singapore is constantly changing is quite something to behold! It’s a thriving, happening place. The days of it being a ‘hardship posting’ are long gone! I hear people are applying in droves to come here.” “The nightlife here is amazing. Clarke Quay is something I’ve never seen anywhere else. Young party people must surely think they’ve died and come to heaven when they first step in there!”
Unique forward planning The Lion City has really gained respect around the world in recent years, she says. “The forward planning of Singapore is very unique; some of the infrastructure here is simply amazing - coupled with the fact that crime is very low in comparison to other countries.” “To me, says Marida, Singapore – and this might sound strange – reminds me very much of Los Angeles where I lived for over 20 years. Because I love the greenery, the cleanliness, Beverly Hills has the
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same thing. And I love the order, everything is easy.” “The cleanliness, ease of living, not polluted like Hong Kong, and with fantastic international schools. To be able to have your kids grow up in a society where it’s so safe is such a relief.”
Brilliant architecture For her the recent improvements within design and architecture are especially striking, given her background as interior architecture. During her years in L.A. she found a niche market in renovating, furnishing and selling properties. Over here in Asia she has also continued building some houses for clients. “Especially in landed properties, I find there’s a development within Singaporean architecture that is just amazing. Really world class!” “I’ve seen such a change in what is going on. And once they get on the bandwagon they do better than anybody else; they want to prove themselves. There is some unbelievable architecture in town.”
No language barrier Ina started working with Citiprop after she returned from the Caribbean. “Citiprop has always catered to the expats, whether they have just moved here or been here for some time. It has built up a strong team of expat agents who understand the needs and requirements of expats.
We have a good, solid reputation among the long-term foreigners here.” She and Marida obviously handle Scandinavians clients. “Not only can we converse in Norwegian and Danish, but we also naturally have a much better understanding of their requirements. We know the importance of a nice, spacious outside seating area. Scandinavians love sitting outside. And here they can do it without a blanket or a heater nearby,” says Ina. Marida agrees: “The feedback I get from my clients is very positive, that we immediately grasp the Westerner’s needs and their lifestyle, because we’re expat ourselves.” Marida, who first took care of her children for some years after moving to Singapore in 1997, joined Citiprop since she simply loves architecture - and socialising. “I love meeting people. I always try to identify what it is that clients want and hence I hone in on what that is within a very short time frame. I’m quite successful at that. Then, because of my design background, I look at properties in a different way than most people. I try to find something a little bit different to the norm. Then of course it depends on the budget and so on…” Extra service Their all-inclusive service extends beyond what the regular agents do. “Citiprop goes the extra mile in