Singapore’s PropertyLimBrothers disputes layoff reports following co-founder Melvin Lim’s alleged cheating scandal

The clarification followed an April 14 report by The Edge that PLB Media had retrenched about 90% of its workforce, which had supported the firm’s real estate agents in research and marketing, amid agent departures linked to a recent leadership scandal.

The restructuring “affected a majority of the local media team”, the newspaper said, while noting that a core team remains to support ongoing content strategy, creative direction and production oversight.

But a member of PLB’s leadership team rejected the report in a response to The Straits Times, saying that the company is “seeking legal advice in relation to the recent reporting, particularly around how the situation has been characterized and the figures cited, which are not accurate and have already caused impact to our business.”

He declined to reveal the number of employees retrenched, but said those affected were drawn from “a defined group” within its local media and backend functions.

“What we can reiterate is that this is part of a broader restructuring and transition of our media and backend operations towards a more streamlined, technology-driven model,” he said.

PLB Media was launched in 2018 with a six-member team and became known as a pioneer in presenter-led videos used by property sellers to market homes.

In 2025, the unit (then employing about 90 staff) was rebranded as MediaX, broadening its scope to include social media strategies and brand campaigns for external clients.

PLB has faced scrutiny since early 2026 following online chatter over a widely circulated video involving Lim and former vice-president of strategy Grayce Tan. Both later resigned after allegations of an extramarital affair.

Melvin Lim (R) and Grayce Tan. Photo from Reddit

The alleged scandal began as speculation on social media and quickly escalated into a media frenzy, with both executives resigning from the agency around the time.

Former vice-president of operations Marc Chan has since taken over as interim chief executive, while co-founder and sales advisory partner Adrian Lim remains in his role.

Adrian said the company had lost three salespeople and four clients in the wake of the scandal.