Need a guy to bring home for Chinese New Year? Rent-a-gent has a stable of them for hire

Those who are single generally have a love-hate relationship with the Chinese New Year season in Singapore. For the uninitiated, it seems that there’s much to love about it – delicious snacks, big dinner spreads, and bountiful red packets with money in them. But that’s only one side of the coin.

On the other, girls and guys alike who have yet to find a partner for life have to endure a battery of questions from well-meaning, concerned relatives. “Ah boy/girl, got girlfriend/boyfriend yet or not? Ha, why not?!” is a common and highly embarrassing refrain during these festivities.

Most would do almost anything to avoid being interrogated – I’ve heard of someone who locked himself in the toilet at the start of the party, and emerged only when it was time to go home.

There might be hope yet for the ladies, though, in the form of male escorts marketplace Rent-a-gent. Funded by an anonymous middle-aged businessman with “many diverse interests,” the first thing you’ll see on its website is a tagline stating that it has “gentlemen companions for every occasion,” and Chinese New Year is certainly an occasion that warrants having a male partner around.

“You might be surprised to know that our clients don’t just use our services for dates – we also have people who hire our guys to pretend to be their boyfriends in front of their relatives or to escort them to an office function or formal dinner,” says the founder, who would only identify himself as Roy.

“We began this business because we realized that women have no options when it comes to hiring good quality male companionship,” he adds. “Before us, the only options were sleazy cloak and shadow, cash-only escort agencies.”

While social escort agencies certainly do have a reputation for sleazy behavior – typically offering a variety of services ranging from just having a drink and a chat, to more nocturnal activities – they are actually legal businesses in Singapore, as long as they are registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). Furthermore, Roy emphasizes that the team hand-picks their guys from a network of personal friends to minimize the occurrence of any funny business.

So what kind of services are requested from these gentlemen? Roy tells Tech in Asia that their service is “completely discreet, and we value our customer’s privacy,” and so he couldn’t reveal specific requests. He did add that their “multi-racial guys are all uniquely talented in their own way, and each of them has their own preferences for what they are comfortable doing […] they will do most things that are not illegal.”

Roy also declined to reveal any numbers, simply stating that Rent-a-gent has received a “remarkable response” so far. “Funnily enough, many guys are trying to join our stable as well,” he reveals.

The rates, which range from S$600 (US$480) for an hour to S$6,000 (US$4,800) for a day, might put off many desperate locals though.

Singaporeans are generally averse to businesses that test the limits of morality, especially when it comes to sexuality. Ashley Madison, a website that encourages marital infidelity, was blocked in late 2013, while the now-infamous pick-up artist Julian Blanc was banned from entering the island-state in November last year. Rent-a-gent, though perfectly legal and aboveboard, is treading on thin ice here.