Another year, another round of property cooling measures. It wasn’t too long ago when Singapore saw its last round of measures aimed at cooling the real estate fervour. Back in July 2018, the government raised the additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) for second property for citizens from 7% to 12%. It wasn’t sufficient to cool the buying frenzy, though. Property prices have risen for the sixth consecutive quarter in the fourth quarter of 2021, prompting the authorities to act decisively. In this round, the measures are harder-hitting, with ABSD rising to 17% for the second property, up from 12%. For permanent residents, they need to fork out a quarter of the property’s value in taxes if they wish to purchase a second investment property. It’s a headache for investors who are looking to park some money in physical properties. Singapore REITs, however, offer a tantalising alternative for investors who are vexed by the latest government measures....