Zhang Zetong Buys His First Home; Spurred By Landlord Issues & 70% Rent Increase

Owning your own home is a dream for many. For Malaysia-born Mediacorp actor Zhang Zetong, that's a milestone he finally managed to unlock last year. 

In December, the 32-year-old shared on his Instagram that he's now a "mortgage slave".

"Hitting a life milestone: I got my first home," he gushed. "I honestly didn't think i would feel so much about it, very thankful and grateful for this."

The Star Search 2019 champion subsequently revealed in an interview with Chinese media Zaobao.sg that he had purchased an apartment in the west side of Singapore.

He received the keys to his new home at the end of 2025, and renovations are now underway. He expects to move in around April.

The new homeowner went on to speak about his newfound "sense of security" after buying a home.

"I’ve been renting for nearly 16 years, and now I finally have a place of my own. It really feels like an achievement," he mused.

He added that buying a house had never been a personal goal, but the challenges he faced while renting eventually made him decide to stop being a tenant.

For instance, a landlord once suddenly decided to sell the unit and asked him to move out on short notice.

Another time, during the pandemic, his landlord even raised the rent by 70 per cent in one shot, which he described as “way too much”.

That then made Zetong determined to give himself a year to look for a suitable home.