Behavioral Economics and Demographic
IREUS identifies behavioral economics and demographic as a growing research agenda using unique housing data. Research into different behavioral aspects of buyers and agents has been conducted, which include studies of superstitious beliefs of buyers, information advantages of agents in housing markets, and the impact of dragon babies on labour supply and real economic outcomes.
Demographic and housing are also two related topics in the agenda of IREUS research. IREUS researchers examines questions of housing monetization options for aging households, aging-in-place and housing options, and housing affordability and fertility rates.
Proposed Research Projects
Monetizing Housing Assets and Facilitating “Aging-in-Place” (by QIN Yu and SING Tien Foo)
Impact of Education and Retirement and Urban Environment on Health Outcomes (by HUANG Wei and SING Tien Foo)
Impact of Earlier Economic Conditions on Labor Supply of the Elderly (by HUANG Wei and SING Tien Foo)
Impact of industrial revolution 4.0 (digital transformation of jobs) on disability employment (SING Tien Foo and KUAN Wen-Mei, Eileen)
Media Coverage
“The Lease Buyback scheme can give singles more housing options,” Channel News Asia (CNA) Commentary, 4 November 2018 (SING Tien Foo)
“In modern Singapore, a ‘lucky’ address a way to display wealth and status” Channel News Asia (CNA) Commentary, 16 February 2018 (SING Tien Foo)
“The ‘lucky 8’ in housing unit prices” Op Ed, The Straits Times, 19 September 2014 (AGARWAL Sumit) (see attached)
Selected Publications
a) Behavioral Studies
Agarwal S, Green R, Rosenblatt E, Yao VW, and Zhang J. 2018. Gender Difference and Intra-Household Economic Power in Mortgage Signing Order. Journal of Financial Intermediation.
Agarwal S, He J, Sing TF, and Song C. 2019. Do Real Estate Agents have Information Advantages in Housing Markets? Journal of Financial Economics.
Agarwal S, He J, Sing TF, and Zhang J. 2018. Gender Gap in Personal Bankruptcy Risks: Empirical Evidence from Singapore. Review of Finance 22 (2).
Agarwal S, Qian W, Seru A, and Zhang J. 2018. Disguised Corruption: Evidence from Consumer Credit in China. Journal of Financial Economics.
Agarwal S, Qin Y, Reeb DM, and Sing TF. 2016. Playing the Boys Game: Golf Buddies and Board Diversity. American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings 106 (5): 272-276.
He J, Liu H, Sing TF, Song C, and Wong W-K. 2019. Superstition, Conspicuous Spending, and Housing Market: Evidence from Singapore. Management Science.
Qin Y, Wu J, and Yan J. 2019. Negotiating Housing Deal on a Polluted Day: Consequences and Possible Explanations. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.
b) Demographic Studies
Fan Y. 2016. Integeneration Income Persistence and Trasmission through Identity: Evidence from Urban China. China Economic Review 41: 299-314.
Fan Y, Fang S, and Yang Z. 2019. Living Arrangement of Elderly: Estimation of Choice Constraints in China. China Economic Review.
Fan Y, Yi J, Yuan Y, and Zhang J. 2018. The Glorified Mothers of Sons: Evidence from Sex Composition and Parental Time Allocation in Rural China. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 145: 249-260.
Fan Y, Yang Z, and Cheung CH. 2017. Housing Assets to the Elderly in Urban China: To Fund or To Hedge? Housing Studies 32 (5): 638-658.
Huang W, Lei X, and Zhao Y. 2016. One-Child Policy and the Rise of Man-Made Twins. Review of Economics and Statistics 98 (3): 467-476.
Lin P-S, Chang C-O, and Sing TF. 2016. Do Housing Options Affect Child Birth Decisions? Evidence from Taiwan. Urban Studies 53 (16): 3527-3546.
Qin Y, and Wang F. 2017. Too Early or Too Late? What Have We Learned from the 30-Year Two-Child Policy Experiment in Yicheng, China? Demographic Research 37: 929-956.
Working Papers
Behavioral Studies
Agarwal S, Choi H, and Sing TF. 2019. Are Chinese House Buyers Superstitious? Evidence from Housing Transactions during Hungry Ghost Months in Singanpore.
Agarwal S, Qin Y, Sing TF, and Zhang X. 2019. Informal Interaction among Top Managers on the Golf Courses and the Market Information Efficiency.
Qin Y, Ruan J, Wang L, and Yan J. 2019. Gene, Economic Preference and Behaviors.
Demographic Studies
Agarwal S, Qian W, Sing TF, and Xu W. 2019. Dragon Babies.
Fan Y, Yi J, and Zhang J. 2019. The Great Gatsby Curve in China: Economic Transition, Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility.
Huang W, Lei X, and Sun A. 2019. Fertility Restrictions and Life Cycle Outcomes: Evidence from the One Child Policy in China.
Huang W, and Zhang C. 2019. The Power of Social Pensions.
Huang W, and Zhou Y. 2019. One-Child Policy, Marriage Distortion and Welfare Loss.
Research Team
AGARWAL, Sumit
BADARINZA, Cristian
FAN, Yi
FAN, Ying
HUANG, Wei
QIAN, Wenlan
QIN, Yu
SING, Tien Foo