"I have been to Honk Kong several times before and know the haggling culture. I have heard, but not sure if it is true, that you haggle on rent prices??? I would have thought these would have been fixed as property and real estate is so expensive. Some feedback would be appreciated.
Looking at rental prices, the cost of buying an apartment and the blogs of people saying that we cadets will be 'stuck' in Hong Kong for up to 10 years before getting a base, would it not make financial sense to purchase???"
What I have learned in life and through thousands of deals and transactions I have done in sales is that everything in life is negotiable, no matter where you go. It never hurts to ask if they will take something lower than advertised. Start out with a reasonable offer (don't insult unless if that is your intent) and see where it goes. What is the worst they can say, "no"? Then you go on your way. Just make sure you know your pros and cons before engaging in your negotiations.
I have only been to HK once but my understanding is that HK has one of the top five most expensive real estate market in the world. Don't be surprised if that small apartment you are talking about for $20,000 HKD a month is for sale for equivalent of over $1,000,000 USD a year. But on the brighter side, I have been reading more economics journals lately stating the HK market is beginning to contract so you may find some "good" bargains.