You're looking to buy a new home, and you found two resale listings in the same development, same floor, same facing, similar renovation. One priced slightly cheaper than the other. Everything checks out on paper. Then you notice something that makes you hesitate.

No, it's not the size or the condition of the house. It's that the unit number ends with a 4.

Whether you see these numbers as tradition, superstition, or something in between, it's hard to deny that many people take it seriously. So even people who don't consider themselves superstitious would probably think twice about buying a house with a "bad" number, scared it might be harder to sell in future. Some would rather pay a bit more for the other unit and avoid the issue altogether.

We joke about superstitious beliefs but we secretly feel a little pleased when we're assigned a "good" number. Most of the time, it's harmless fun. But when you're making one of the biggest purchases of your life, you might feel a little pressured.

It depends. The same numbers can mean different things to different cultures. For example, the number 13 is often avoided in Western cultures, but Cantonese speakers see it as auspicious because it sounds like "guaranteed prosperity". Likewise, the number 666 has a reputation as the devils' number, and we see it a lot in horror movies. But in China, it has become a modern internet slang that means cool or impressive.

In Singapore, where there is a large Chinese population, many traditions are influenced by Chinese culture, including some number superstitions. For one, we tend to label number four as inauspicious. The belief is somewhat rooted in linguistics. In Mandarin and Cantonese, four (?, s) and death (?, s?) have similar pronunciation. But rather than a coincidence, many people think of it as an omen.

On the other hand, Eight (?, b?) is associated with prosperity (?, f?), because they're pronounced similarly.

In many parts of Asia, these beliefs have become deeply woven into everyday life, whether you personally believe them or not. For example, some buildings don't have a Level 4. Instead, it's labelled as 3A, or the lift simply jumps from Level 3 to Level 5.

On the flip side, number 8 is everywhere. Businesses and brands often incorporate "88" into their names because it's believed to symbolise double prosperity. They even pay extra for phone numbers ending in 8888.

While 4 and 8 are by far the most well-known, they're not the only numbers that catch buyers' attention.

Some people also consider 6 (?, li) to be auspicious because it is often associated with smoothness or things going well, especially through phrases such as ????, which conveys the idea of "everything will go smoothly". Another favourable number is 9 (?, ji?), which is associated with longevity and permanence.

Certain number combinations are also considered attractive. For example, 168 (???) is commonly interpreted as "prosperity all the way", while 518 (???) is read as "I want to prosper". On the flip side, combinations involving 4 are often avoided by those who subscribe to these beliefs. For example, 14 sounds similar to "will certainly die" (??), 24 resembles "easy to die" (??), and 174 sounds like "die together" (???).

Of course, these number superstitions aren't an exact science, and interpretations can vary depending on dialect, language and even personal beliefs. What one buyer sees as a lucky number, another may not think twice about. But when enough people share the same preferences, those perceptions can begin to influence real-world demand including in the property market.

As much as they'd like to, developers cannot simply skip "unlucky" unit numbers to make a project more attractive. Government regulations require unit numbering in high-rise developments to follow a fixed format.

This makes Singapore an ideal place to study whether numerology genuinely influences buyer behaviour. Since developers can't manipulate unit numbers, researchers can isolate the effect of the numbers themselves on property prices.

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, and Nankai University did exactly that. They analysed thousands of private housing transactions and found that buyers were willing to pay more for homes with "lucky" addresses while expecting discounts for "unlucky" ones.

Interestingly, the premium was larger for prestigious purchases: 8% more for larger homes and 7% more for top-floor units. In that sense, a lucky unit number can also be seen as an extra status symbol.

The study also observed fewer property transactions taking place on dates considered inauspicious in the Chinese lunar calendar. This suggests that these beliefs can shape not just what people buy, but also when they choose to buy.

Of course, a unit number isn't going to outweigh factors like location, connectivity or price. But when buyers are deciding between two otherwise similar homes, numerology can become the deciding factor. And the evidence suggests that enough buyers value it for those preferences to show up in actual transaction prices.

Here's an interesting thought.

Suppose you bought a home with an inauspicious unit number at a discount because some buyers were put off by it. Years later, when it's time to sell, your buyer happens to be someone who doesn't believe in numerology at all. Maybe they're not Chinese-speakers. Or perhaps they're more concerned about the layout, location and price.

In that case, you wouldn't have to offer the same discount when it's your turn to sell. If everything else about the property stacks up, your property could potentially outperform the "lucky" one.

That being said, there's no way of knowing who your future buyer will be. So it's more like a game of chance than a proper strategy. If your eventual buyer is informed about the role numerology plays in real estate, they may expect the same discount you received years earlier. You're basically passing on the lower purchase price to the next owner.

There isn't definitive evidence to say that it has. However, Singapore's property market has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Homes have become more expensive so buyers are putting more focus on practical considerations such as affordability, commuting time, or proximity to good schools.

Regardless, buyers who are familiar with these beliefs often continue paying more for lucky addresses, even if they aren't particularly superstitious themselves, simply because they expect the next buyer to care.

Just like designer handbags or limited-edition watches, you might not personally think they're worth the premium, but if you know someone else will, you're more willing to pay today's price because you expect to recover it later.

As long as people believe future buyers will continue valuing lucky numbers, those premiums can persist.

Let's go back to where we started.

Two units: same project, same floor, same facing, same renovation. The only difference is the number on your address.

If the unit ending in 4 is noticeably cheaper, would you take the discount? Or would you happily pay a little more for the peace of mind that comes with an auspicious address?

After everything you've read, have you changed your mind?

There's no right or wrong answer. Some buyers will gladly pay more for the peace of mind. Others will see an opportunity to buy the same home for less.

Ultimately, lucky numbers should be seen as one factor among many, not the reason to buy or walk away from a property.

A unit number may affect buyer psychology. It may help you negotiate. It may even influence how future buyers perceive the home. But it should not outweigh the fundamentals that matter more over time: location, connectivity, liveability, development quality, entry price, and long-term demand.

It would not make sense to buy a property just because it ends with an 8. At the same time, it may be short-sighted to reject a fundamentally sound home simply because it ends with a 4, especially if the pricing already reflects that concern.

The smarter question is not whether the number is lucky. It is whether the property still makes sense when the number is taken out of the equation.