By The Address desk · Last verified 29 September 2026
Property agents in Singapore are regulated by the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). Every agent must be registered through a licensed agency, and you can check them on CEA’s Public Register. Commission isn’t set by law: you negotiate it, record it in one of CEA’s prescribed estate agency agreements before the agent starts work, and pay it to the agency, not to the agent. An agent can’t represent both buyer and seller in the same deal, and shouldn’t handle deposits or option fees, which you pay straight to the other party. You don’t need an agent at all to buy or sell an HDB flat.
Quick facts
- Check any agent on CEA’s Public Register before engaging them.
- Commission is negotiable; CEA doesn’t fix a rate.
- Agree it in a CEA prescribed estate agency agreement, signed before work begins.
- Pay commission to the agency, never the individual agent.
- No dual representation: one agent, one side.
- Pay option fees and deposits directly to the payee, not through the agent.
What does the Public Register show?
Whether a person is a registered salesperson and which licensed agency they belong to, whether they’ve been disciplined by CEA in the past two years, and their record of closed transactions, including HDB resale deals. If someone isn’t on it, don’t engage them.
How does commission work?
It’s a private agreement, set out in a prescribed estate agency agreement that you should sign only once you understand the commission clauses. Industry guides report that sellers commonly pay around 2% and buyers who engage their own agent around 1%, but these are market conventions, not rules, and GST may be added. When an agent works with another agent on the other side, which is called co-broking, how they share commission is between the two of them.
What can’t an agent do?
- Act for both buyer and seller, or landlord and tenant, in the same transaction.
- Hold transaction money such as the option fee or deposit.
- Refer you to moneylenders.
- Start estate agency work before an agreement is in place.
The WahLiao Verdict
Check the register, negotiate the rate, and read the agreement’s commission and exclusivity clauses before signing. Any agent who asks you to transfer the option fee to them is breaking the rules; pay the seller directly.
Questions people ask
Do I need an agent to sell my HDB flat?
No. Buyers and sellers can complete the whole transaction themselves through HDB’s Resale Portal.
Who pays the buyer’s agent?
Whoever agreed to in the agreement. If a buyer engages their own agent, the buyer usually pays them.
What if I have a dispute with my agent?
Commission disputes under a prescribed agreement can go to CEA’s dispute resolution scheme, and misconduct can be reported to CEA.
What about rental agents?
The same CEA rules apply. What renting costs, commission included, will be in this desk’s renting guide.
Sources: CEA, what to take note of when engaging a property agent; 99.co on the Public Register and dual representation; PropertyGuru on what agents may not do; PropKaki on commission practice and disputes. This is general information, not legal advice.
Read next: Buying a Resale HDB Flat · Buyer’s Stamp Duty and ABSD · Back to The Address
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