I'm looking to buy a rental property in Oxford - near to where I live. Last week I browsed the web sites of six local estate agents, clicked the "contact us" button of all six, asked one of two questions and to be added to their mailing lists.

Within two hours one had called me, discussed my situation and given excellent advice and service. As for the others - nothing, zero, not a dickie bird - after seven days. Unfortunately that experience is not unusual in Europe or in the US. It's the small details that delineate excellent service from the rest and for me this is a prime example. Guess which agent is going to get my business.

In Asia that attention to detail and outstanding service simply runs in the blood - and Singapore is simply the world leader. Singapore has a multicultural population of 4.5 million, no natural resources and no history of empire but it has a GNP per head almost identical to that of the European Union and growing. Singapore