Some property analysts have questioned the removal of some property data following the revamp of a portal by URA, but the agency said that its goal behind the change is to support “greater market transparency”. The main contention arising from the revamp of the data system, called Realis, was over the removal of the price range of private home purchases by foreign buyers. A URA spokesperson said on Thurs that the changes were to make information “more easily accessible, available and user-friendly for the public and professionals”. “The goal is to support greater market transparency and enable users to make better-informed decisions relating to property development and transactions,” the spokesperson added. URA, however, did not respond to questions about why data on foreign buying has been removed, except to say: “As part of our continual efforts to improve our services, we will review the usage and usability of the enhanced version.” Property analysts typically use data from Realis for research on their market reports. Some property analysts said that the removal of pricing data of foreign buyers is not significant.... Continue Reading