The retrenchment exercise at PLB Media was part of the property agency’s restructuring “towards a leaner, technology-enabled operating model,” as reported by The Edge Singapore.
“The restructuring affected a majority of the local media team,” a PropertyLimBrothers spokesperson told the business newspaper in an email on Wednesday, adding that remaining roles are designed to “support a more streamlined workflow, with increased use of AI tools and externalised production resources where appropriate.”
“Our core real estate business remains fully operational with no disruption to ongoing listings or transactions,” the spokesperson said.
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PropertyLimBrothers logo seen at one of the agency’s offices. Photo from the company’s website |
Details of the retrenchment package were not disclosed. However, some affected employees said they were given the option to either resign or be laid off.
Both options allegedly included a week’s salary for each year of service, with those who opted to resign also allowed to keep company-issued devices and receive a recommendation letter to help their job search.
As of February, PLB Media had close to 100 employees, who supported the agency’s realtors in research, marketing and social media.
Co-founded by Lim in 2017, PropertyLimBrothers built its reputation on home tour videos and property analysis content, many of which prominently featured the co-founder himself.
It came under public scrutiny in late January over an alleged extramarital affair between Lim and another senior executive, Grayce Tan.
The alleged scandal began as speculation on social media and quickly escalated into a media frenzy, with both executives resigning from the agency around the time.
Lim’s home tour videos often garnered more than 20,000 views while Tan has more than 210,000 followers on Instagram.
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Melvin Lim (L) and Grayce Tan, former executives of PropertyLimBrothers. Photo from the company’s website |
Following the controversy, a number of realtors have reportedly left the firm for rival agencies in recent months, according to Vulcan Post.
A separate wave of departures was also seen at KW Singapore, another firm founded by Lim.
Adrian Lim, the other co-founder of PropertyLimBrothers, said in March that the firm had moved to strengthen its governance framework in the wake of the leadership controversy, including rolling out a formal code of conduct and a whistle-blowing channel.
He added that the company would continue investing in technology and data tools to support its agents and clients.
“We want to deepen trust with our clients and also with our agents and employees who have stayed with us,” he told The Straits Times in an interview at the time.
