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How to Find a Good and Reliable Property Agent in Singapore (2026)

How to check a Singapore property agent on the CEA Public Register, what they may and may not do, how commission works, dual-agency traps and red flags.

By Propwise EditorialUpdated 2 October 20268 min read

How we made this. Updated for 2026 with AI-assisted research. Figures are linked to their sources — check them before you act.

A good property agent in Singapore is registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), has recent deals like yours on the record, has a clean disciplinary history and works only for you. You can check all of this in a few minutes on the CEA Public Register. Then agree the commission in writing before the agent starts work.

At a glance

  • Check the register first. Search the agent’s phone number (not just the name) on the CEA Public Register. Since 10 June 2026 it also shows enforcement actions taken against agents and agencies over the past three years.
  • One agent, one side. An agent cannot be appointed by both the buyer and the seller (or landlord and tenant) in the same deal. Doing so is an offence.
  • Commission is not fixed. CEA sets no rates. Negotiate, record the figure in CEA’s prescribed agreement and pay the agency, not the agent.
  • Agents must not handle your money. Pay option fees, deposits and rent directly to the other party.
  • You do not have to use an agent at all. CEA publishes guides for buying, selling and renting on your own.

Start with the CEA Public Register

Every property agent must be registered with CEA through a licensed agency. Each one has a unique registration number in the format R123456A. Doing estate agency work without registration is an offence. There are plenty of choices: 36,816 registered agents in 997 agencies as at 1 January 2026.

The register shows:

  • whether the registration is valid, and the agency the agent works for
  • the residential deals the agent has done recently, and which side they represented
  • awards, and any disciplinary records

The register was improved on 10 June 2026. It now lists letters of censure, Disciplinary Committee actions and court prosecutions from 2023 onwards, on a rolling three-year basis. A “Key Enforcement Statistics” page shows how many actions each agency’s agents received compared with the agency’s size. This is useful when you choose between a large agency and a small one.

Search the phone number. Rental scammers often copy a real agent’s name, registration number and photos. CEA’s advice is to search the number you are dealing with. If it does not lead to an agent’s profile, treat it as a scam, even if the name is genuine.

How to judge an agent before you sign

The register tells you whether an agent is legal. It does not tell you whether they are good. Interview two or three agents, and use the transaction records to check what they claim.

  • Relevant experience. Ask for recent deals of the same type (HDB resale, condo sale, rental) in your area. Then confirm them on the register. A busy agent in your estate knows the buyers, the comparable prices and the problems.
  • Pricing method. A good agent shows you actual transacted prices for comparable units, not just asking prices on portals. Be cautious of an agent who quotes a high price to win your listing and then asks you to cut it later.
  • Marketing plan. Ask where the property will be advertised, who does the viewings and whether the agent will co-broke. CEA notes that co-broking with other agents can bring a wider pool of buyers.
  • Honesty about the downside. Good agents tell you the weak points of a property and the risks of a deal. Be wary of anyone who never says no.
  • Availability. A senior agent with a large team may pass you to a junior. Ask who will actually handle your deal.

Watch for these red flags, which are as old as the industry:

  • Listings that are “just taken”. You call about a cheap unit and the agent says it is gone, but has “another one in the same block”. The cheap unit was bait.
  • Misleading S$psf. A low price per square foot can hide a large patio, air-con ledges or a roof terrace inside the stated area. Ask for the strata area breakdown and the floor plan.
  • Investment talk without a licence. Phrases like “own two condos with zero cash” or guaranteed rental returns are sales pitches, not advice. A CEA registration is not a financial adviser’s licence. For financing, check the numbers yourself with our mortgage calculator.
  • Tax schemes. By April 2024, IRAS had found avoidance in 166 of 187 “99-to-1” purchases that it reviewed, and it referred about 10 cases to CEA. An agent who suggests a way to “save” ABSD is a risk to you.
  • Requests to pay the agent. See the money rules below.

Some checks are normal. Under the anti-money-laundering rules, agents must collect and verify your full NRIC details and complete a Customer’s Particulars Form before any agreement. For rentals, they must copy the passes of foreign tenants. An agent who skips these checks is cutting corners.

What agents must do, and what they must not do

According to CEA’s consumer guide, your agent must act in your best interests. They must get your consent before they advertise your property, and declare any conflict of interest and any referral fees. They must tell you about every offer and explain every document before you sign.

They must not:

  • represent both parties in the same transaction, or collect commission from both
  • handle transaction monies: option fees, exercise fees, down payments, stamp duties, deposits, sale proceeds and legal fees, and for HDB rentals the deposit and monthly rent
  • introduce, refer or recommend moneylenders

Pay the payee directly by bank transfer, PayNow or crossed cheque. The only payments to the agency are the commission and, in some cases, a valuation fee.

Dual agency: where the conflicts hide

Singapore bans classic dual agency. One agent cannot act for both sides. But conflicts of interest still occur in three common situations:

  1. You buy through the seller’s agent. The agent may help you with paperwork if their client agrees, but they must state clearly that they do not act for you and must not charge you. Their duty is to get the seller a good price. So do not ask them whether the price is fair.
  2. New launches. At a showflat, the agents are marketing the developer’s project, so they work for the seller. A buyer pays no commission, but also has no one negotiating on their side.
  3. Referral fees. Bankers, lawyers, renovation contractors and movers may pay agents for referrals. This is legal, but the agent must declare it. Ask directly: “Do you receive anything if I use this firm?”

Co-broking is different. Two agents represent two parties and share a fee by agreement between themselves. Each one is still bound to their own client. If your agent collects commission from you, they cannot also take a fee or co-broke share from the other side.

Commission: how it works and how to negotiate

There are no fixed commission rates and no CEA guidelines on amounts. Sale commissions are usually a percentage of the price. Rental commissions are usually based on the monthly rent. Everything is negotiable, and the figure you sign is the figure you owe.

Add GST if the agency is GST-registered. The rate is 9%. Two examples:

ExampleAgreed rateCommissionGST (9%)Total
S$1,500,000 condo sale2%S$30,000S$2,700S$32,700
S$650,000 HDB resale1%S$6,500S$585S$7,085

These are examples, not recommended rates. Before you negotiate, ask a few agencies for quotes, and ask what each one includes (photography, ads, viewings, paperwork).

Use one of CEA’s prescribed estate agency agreements even if the agent is a relative. Know which type you sign:

  • Exclusive: one agency, valid for up to three months. You owe commission if the property is sold or let in that period, even if you find the buyer yourself or use another agency. You also owe it for three months afterwards if the buyer was introduced by your agency during the term.
  • Non-exclusive: several agencies, no fixed period. Only the agency that closes the deal is paid.

Extra terms go in the space provided or on a separate sheet, and they cannot override the prescribed terms. Pay the agency after the deal completes, not the agent. Settle renewal commission terms on leases at the start, because CEA treats disputes about them as private contractual matters.

Doing it yourself, and what to do if things go wrong

No law says that you must use an agent. CEA publishes step-by-step resources for buying or selling an HDB flat or private home on your own, and for renting. HDB resale buyers and sellers can complete the process on HDB’s portal. Whether an agent is worth the fee depends on your time, your confidence and the deal; see do you need a property agent? and the common DIY pitfalls.

If a dispute occurs, first raise it with the agent’s agency, in writing. If you signed a prescribed agreement and the dispute is about its terms, you can use CEA’s Dispute Resolution Scheme. Mediation is through the Consumers Association of Singapore, the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers or the Singapore Mediation Centre. You must choose a centre within four weeks of your request. If mediation fails, arbitration follows. For misconduct, such as false ads or handling money, report to CEA.

Keep records: messages, emails and photos. CEA cannot help with matters outside estate agency work, such as rental deposit refunds or repairs after the tenancy starts.

Bottom line

Choose an agent the way you would choose any professional who handles a six- or seven-figure decision. First check the CEA register, including the new enforcement records. Then test their claims against their transaction history. Get the commission and the type of appointment in writing. Keep your money moving directly between buyer and seller, and remember whose side each agent is on. For a full process guide, see how to buy a property in Singapore.

Sources

ceareal estate agentsprofessional agentsbuying a propertysingapore property

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