How I research and rank
Every Terris Recommends shortlist follows the same method. Here is exactly how a business gets onto a list, how I decide the order, and what would keep a provider off it entirely.
Method last reviewed 13 July 2026
Six steps, every single guide
The same repeatable process runs behind a plumber shortlist and an aesthetic clinic shortlist alike. Only the criteria weighting changes with the trade.
- Step 1
Define the exact need
Every guide targets one specific job, not a vague category. "Best confinement nanny agency" and "best cleaning service" are ranked on completely different things, so I scope each list around the real decision a reader is trying to make before I look at a single business.
- Step 2
Build the candidate pool
I gather every credible provider that genuinely operates in Singapore for that need, drawing on directories, Google Maps, industry and licensing registers, forums, and providers I already know from client work. Businesses that only exist as an ad with no verifiable presence never make the pool.
- Step 3
Verify the essentials
For each candidate I confirm the things that separate a real operator from a fly-by-night: a working address or service area, relevant licences or accreditations, how long they have traded, and whether their claimed specialisation holds up. Anything I cannot verify, I do not state as fact.
- Step 4
Compare like for like
I line the shortlist up against the same criteria: track record, credentials and licensing, specialisation, pricing transparency, warranty or aftercare, and the pattern in genuine customer reviews. Reading across the same columns is what turns a pile of options into a ranking.
- Step 5
Rank on merit and lead with a clear pick
I order each list around who is genuinely strongest for that specific need, then lead with the one I would suggest to a friend first. The rest are real alternatives with their trade-offs spelled out, because the "best" choice depends on your budget, location and priorities.
- Step 6
Publish, date, and revisit
Each guide ships with a visible last-updated date. I revisit lists as prices move, businesses change hands or close, and reviews shift, so a guide reflects the market today rather than the day it was first written.
What I weigh when ranking
Six factors decide the order of every list. Their relative weight shifts with the trade, licensing counts for more with an electrician than a hairdresser, but the columns stay the same.
Track record
Years in operation, consistency, and evidence of real completed work in Singapore, not a brand-new page with no history.
Credentials & licensing
The accreditations that matter for the trade: PUB Licensed Plumbers, EMA Licensed Electrical Workers, NEA pest licences, HSA and medical registrations, MOM licensing for agencies, and so on.
Specialisation
Whether the provider is genuinely strong for the specific job the guide covers, rather than a generalist that happens to offer it.
Pricing transparency
How clearly and honestly a business communicates cost. I reward providers who publish or readily quote ranges over those who hide everything behind an enquiry form.
Warranty & aftercare
What happens when something goes wrong: the warranty on the work, the response when there is a problem, and whether support is real or theoretical.
Genuine reviews
The pattern across real customer reviews over time, weighted for authenticity. A steady stream of specific, believable feedback beats a sudden burst of five-star one-liners.
What keeps a business off a list
A good list is defined as much by what I leave out as what I include. Any one of these is usually enough for a provider to miss the cut, no matter how heavily they advertise.
- No verifiable presence: an ad or a name with no traceable address, registration or service history in Singapore.
- Missing legally required licensing for a regulated trade.
- A consistent pattern of credible complaints about safety, no-shows, or refusing to honour warranties.
- Review manipulation: obvious fake or incentivised reviews that make the real picture impossible to read.
- Outside Singapore: providers that do not actually serve the local market.
The honest limitations
These are researched editorial recommendations, not a guarantee. I have not personally hired every business on every list, and I cannot promise your experience will match my research. Service quality can vary between branches, staff, and jobs.
Prices are indicative ranges that move over time, so always confirm a current quote before you commit. You can read the full editorial standards behind these guides. My aim is simple: give you a genuinely useful shortlist and the context to make your own call.
Method, in plain terms
How does Terris choose which businesses to feature?
I start with the specific need a guide covers, build a pool of every credible Singapore provider for that need, verify their essentials, then compare them against the same criteria: track record, credentials and licensing, specialisation, pricing transparency, warranty, and genuine reviews. The businesses that hold up best make the list.
Can a business ask to be featured?
Yes. A business can put itself forward on the get-featured page, and I also find businesses through my own research. Either way, it goes through the same assessment before it makes a guide, so asking to be featured gets a business looked at, not automatically listed.
Where do the prices in each guide come from?
I source indicative Singapore price ranges from providers' own pricing, published rates, and typical market figures at the time of writing. Rates move and depend on your exact job, so treat them as a starting point and confirm the latest quote directly with the business. For prescription-only treatments, I give market ranges rather than a specific clinic's promoted price.
How often are the guides updated?
I revisit guides as the market changes: when prices move, businesses open, close or change hands, or the review picture shifts. Every guide shows its last-updated date so you always know how current it is.
Are these rankings independent?
Every shortlist is my own research and editorial judgement rather than a scraped directory or an automated list. I lead with the business I would genuinely suggest first, and I always leave the real alternatives on the list so you can weigh them yourself.
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