Editorial Standards

Accuracy Comes First

We aim to publish information that is accurate, properly attributed and supported by the best sources reasonably available to us.

Depending on the story, those sources may include:

• Government agencies and official statistics
• Transaction records
• Regulatory and planning documents
• Company announcements and filings
• Developers and their appointed representatives
• Property agents and industry professionals
• Researchers and consultants
• Homeowners, residents, buyers and sellers
• First-hand visits and observations
• Stacked's own research and analysis

We prefer primary sources when available.

Where important information comes from a secondary source, we try to verify it independently or identify where the information originally came from.

Not every fact can be established with absolute certainty. Where information is incomplete, disputed or based on estimates, we aim to make that clear.

We Distinguish Reporting From Analysis

Property journalism often involves interpretation.

A transaction price is a fact. Whether it represents good value is an assessment.

A development's distance from an MRT station can be measured. Whether that distance feels inconvenient depends partly on context.

Our reporting may therefore include analysis, judgement and opinion alongside factual information.

Where we draw conclusions, we aim to show the evidence and reasoning behind them rather than present subjective assessments as undisputed facts.

Readers should be able to understand how we got there, even if they ultimately disagree with us.

We Aim For Fairness, Not Artificial Neutrality

We try to approach our work objectively, but we do not believe every property story has two equally valid sides or that every project requires an equal number of positives and negatives.

Fairness means accurately representing the relevant facts, providing appropriate context and taking seriously perspectives that materially affect the story.

It does not mean softening a conclusion simply because someone dislikes it.

Likewise, being critical for the sake of appearing independent is not useful either.

We have published stories that some readers felt were too harsh. We have also published stories that others felt were too favourable.

Our aim is not to satisfy either response.

It is to make the fairest assessment we can from the information available.

Right Of Reply

When a story contains significant criticism of an identifiable person, company, organisation or development, we will generally make a reasonable effort to seek their perspective where doing so would materially improve the accuracy or fairness of the story.

We may summarise or include that response where relevant.

We do not guarantee that every response will be published in full, nor does giving someone an opportunity to respond give them editorial control over the article.

A request for comment is not an invitation to approve a story before publication.

Sources And Attribution

Where possible, we identify the source of material information.

Sometimes a source may have legitimate reasons for not wanting to be named publicly.

We may use information from an unnamed source where we believe:

• the information is relevant and credible;
• the source is in a position to know it;
• there is a legitimate reason for withholding their identity; and
• the information cannot reasonably be obtained on the record.

Where appropriate, the editor responsible for the story should know the identity of an anonymous source even if readers do not.

Anonymous sourcing should not be used simply to make an unsupported opinion appear more authoritative.

Data And Methodology

Data is central to much of Stacked's work.

We analyse transactions, rents, price movements, housing supply, returns and other market indicators to understand patterns that may not be obvious from individual transactions.

But data can be misleading without context.

Different time periods, project selections, unit types or assumptions can materially alter the conclusion.

Where a methodology has a meaningful effect on the result, we aim to explain it.

This may include:

• the period being analysed;
• which transactions or projects were included or excluded;
• how returns were calculated;
• whether costs such as stamp duties or interest were included;
• whether figures are nominal or adjusted;
• and any assumptions that materially affect the outcome.

Our analysis should not imply greater certainty than the underlying data supports.

Reviews

Our reviews are intended to help readers understand a property, not simply reproduce how it has been marketed.

We consider factors such as:

• location;
• pricing;
• layouts;
• liveability;
• surrounding supply;
• comparable projects;
• transport and amenities;
• future development;
• investment considerations;
• and the practical trade-offs involved.

A review is necessarily an assessment.

Different buyers may reasonably place different weight on the same characteristics, and our conclusions are not intended to replace an individual's own financial, legal or property advice.

Where possible, we visit developments and neighbourhoods ourselves.

If access is provided by a developer, agent, owner or another interested party, that does not give them approval over what we subsequently publish.

Editorial Independence

Stacked is independently owned by founders who are not from the property industry.

Editorial decisions are made by the Stacked editorial team.

Developers, property agencies, advertisers and commercial partners do not have the right to determine:

• which stories we publish;
• whether a project receives coverage;
• the conclusions of a review;
• the rating or assessment we give a property;
• or whether criticism is removed simply because it is commercially inconvenient.

At the same time, independence does not require us to avoid the industry we cover.

Good property reporting requires relationships with developers, agents, homeowners, analysts, researchers and other market participants.

We value those relationships because they give us access to information and perspectives that can make our work better.

Maintaining them does not mean surrendering editorial judgement.

Our goal is neither to antagonise the industry nor to keep everyone within it happy.

It is to work constructively within the market while keeping editorial decisions with the newsroom.

Property Advisory Partnerships

Stacked works with property advisory partners who assist readers seeking help with buying or selling property.

This relationship developed from our own experience of the market.

Stacked originally set out to reduce reliance on property agents. Over time, we came to recognise that buying or selling a home is a high-value, infrequent transaction for most people, and that experienced advice can be valuable when it comes from someone the client trusts.

The existence of an advisory partnership does not determine Stacked's editorial coverage.

Our writers are not required to recommend projects because an advisory partner may transact in them, and properties are not given favourable editorial treatment because they may generate enquiries.

Where an advisory or commercial relationship is materially relevant to a story, we aim to disclose it.

Advertising, Sponsored And Partner Content

Readers should be able to tell the difference between editorial work and paid commercial content.

Content produced as part of a paid partnership should be clearly labelled using language such as:

Sponsored, Partner Content, Presented By, or another disclosure that makes the commercial relationship evident.

Advertisers may provide factual information and request corrections to factual inaccuracies.

They do not have the right to dictate Stacked's independent editorial conclusions.

We do not present paid promotional material as independent editorial coverage.

Hosted Access, Events And Trips

There are occasions where access to a property, event or destination is arranged or supported by a developer, tourism body, brand or another organisation.

This may include:

• preview access;
• showflat visits;
• event invitations;
• hosted meals;
• travel;
• accommodation;
• or other reasonable arrangements required to report a story.

Where that support is significant enough that a reader would reasonably want to know about it, we should disclose it.

Hosted access does not guarantee coverage or positive coverage.

Gifts And Other Benefits

Editorial staff should not accept cash, commissions or personal payments from people or organisations they cover in exchange for editorial treatment.

Low-value promotional items or hospitality associated with legitimate reporting may occasionally be accepted where refusing them would be impractical or disproportionate.

Anything substantial that could reasonably be perceived as influencing coverage should be declined, paid for by Stacked where appropriate, or disclosed to an editor.

Conflicts Of Interest

Writers and editors should disclose to the editorial team any personal, financial or professional interest that could reasonably affect—or appear to affect—their coverage.

This may include:

• ownership of a property being reviewed or discussed;
• a close relationship with someone materially involved in the story;
• a financial interest in a company being covered;
• paid work for an organisation relevant to the story;
• or another relationship that a reasonable reader would consider important.

Depending on the circumstances, we may reassign the story, disclose the relationship or decide that the conflict is not material.

The aim is not to pretend our journalists exist without personal experiences or opinions.

It is to identify situations where those interests could compromise the work.

Interviews And Quotations

We aim to represent interviewees accurately and fairly.

Direct quotations should reflect what the person actually said and should not be materially altered in a way that changes their meaning.

We may lightly edit quotations for clarity, length or obvious verbal repetition where doing so does not alter the meaning.

Interviewees generally do not have the right to review or approve an article before publication.

We may check specific facts, technical details or quotations with a source where doing so improves accuracy.

Homeowner And Reader Stories

Some of our most useful stories come from homeowners, buyers and sellers sharing first-hand experiences.

We may use pseudonyms where revealing someone's identity would create a legitimate privacy concern and their identity is not essential to the story.

Where possible, we verify material factual claims through documents, transaction records or other supporting information.

Personal accounts represent the experience and perspective of the people involved. They should not automatically be treated as universal advice or evidence that every buyer would experience the same outcome.

Images, Renderings And Visual Material

Where practical, we distinguish between:

• photographs;
• architectural renderings;
• artist impressions;
• floor plans;
• illustrations;
• and other visual material.

Images should not be materially manipulated in a way that misleads readers about what they depict.

Normal adjustments such as cropping, exposure correction or colour balancing may be made where they do not materially alter the substance of the image.

AI-generated or materially AI-altered imagery should be disclosed where a reasonable reader could otherwise mistake it for documentary photography.

Artificial Intelligence

AI tools may be used to assist parts of our editorial workflow, including research organisation, transcription, data processing, ideation or other supporting tasks.

They do not replace editorial responsibility.

Writers and editors remain responsible for checking the accuracy, sourcing, context and conclusions of material published under their names.

We do not treat AI-generated information as a reliable source simply because an AI system produced it.

Where AI plays a material role in the creation of content in a way that readers would reasonably want to know about, we aim to disclose that use.

Corrections And Updates

We do not expect to get everything right.

When we become aware of a material factual error, we aim to correct it promptly.

Material corrections should generally be made transparently rather than silently.

An article may also be updated when additional information becomes available after publication. An update is not necessarily a correction.

Our full approach is set out in our Corrections Policy.

Reader Feedback And Complaints

We take substantive criticism of our work seriously.

Readers, homeowners, developers, agents and other parties are welcome to challenge factual information or our interpretation of it.

A complaint does not automatically mean a story will be amended or removed.

We will consider whether:

• a material factual error has been made;
• relevant context is missing;
• the article is misleading;
• circumstances have materially changed;
• privacy or safety concerns justify action;
• or the disagreement is principally over interpretation or opinion.

Where the original reporting remains accurate and fairly presented, we may decide not to make a change.

Editorial concerns, corrections and story feedback can be sent to:

stories@stackedhomes.com

Please include the article URL and enough information for us to review the issue.