How to Choose the Best Property Agent in Singapore: 7 Checks Before You Sign

The best property agent in Singapore for you is one who is registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), has recent transactions in the type of home you're buying or selling, explains the numbers clearly, and puts everything in a CEA prescribed agreement. You can check most of this yourself in about ten minutes, before you sign anything.

Most people choose an agent the way they choose a restaurant: a friend's recommendation, a familiar face, a confident pitch. Those aren't bad starting points. But the person you appoint will price, market and negotiate what is probably your biggest asset, so it's worth a few proper checks.

Here are the seven we'd run ourselves.

1. Check the agent on the CEA Public Register

Every property agent in Singapore must be registered with CEA and work under a licensed property agency. The CEA Public Register lets you search by the agent's name, registration number (it starts with R, for example R027577A) or mobile number.

On the agent's profile you can see:

• Which agency they're registered with.
• Their Credibility and their online presences
• Awards they have received.
• Enforcement actions taken against them. Since June 2026, CEA shows the past three years on a rolling basis.

Two habits worth keeping. Search by the mobile number the agent is using: if it doesn't lead to a registered agent's profile, CEA warns it is likely a scam, even if the name looks right. And if you meet in person, match the face to the photo on the register.

2. Look for recent, relevant transactions

A long career is reassuring, but recent experience in your kind of property matters more. Selling a 4-room HDB flat in Tampines, buying a resale condo in District 15 and choosing a new launch are different jobs, with different rules, buyers and timelines.

On the register, look at what the agent has actually transacted in the last three years: HDB or private, sale or rental, and roughly where. Then ask them directly: "What have you sold or bought that's similar to mine, and what did you learn from it?" A good agent answers with specifics, not adjectives.

For example, one couple came to us while still living in their 4-room HDB flat, hoping to upgrade to an EC. Before any viewing, we worked through their numbers together and proposed the Deferred Payment Scheme, which suited their cash flow. They bought at North Gaia, and we planned the sale of their flat around the EC's timeline: the flat sold at a strong price, the financing was settled in good time, and they moved into their new home without the usual scramble.

3. Ask how they'll price your home, and listen for the numbers

For sellers, the first real test is the valuation conversation. Be wary of the agent who quotes the highest price to win your listing. An inflated asking price usually means a stale listing, a price cut later and less leverage when offers come in.

A good agent shows you the evidence: recent transacted prices for comparable units, how your unit differs (floor, facing, condition, remaining lease), and a realistic range with a plan for each scenario. You can sanity-check them with the same data they use, from HDB's resale price records or URA's private transaction data.

For buyers, the equivalent test is affordability. Before viewings, a good agent will work out your loan, cash and CPF, stamp duties and monthly instalments with you, so you only view homes you can comfortably afford. Our affordability and stamp duty calculators are a quick way to start.

4. Understand the agreement before you sign

CEA requires a Prescribed Estate Agency Agreement: a standard contract setting out what the agency will do, the commission you've agreed and any conflicts of interest. Use it even if the agent is a friend. There are two main types:

• Exclusive: you appoint one agency for up to three months. If you sell or buy through another agency, or on your own, during that time, you still owe the commission. For three months after it ends, you also owe commission on deals with parties that agency introduced to you.
• Non-exclusive: you can appoint several agencies, and you only pay the one that completes the deal.

Any extra terms can be added, but CEA says they cannot conflict with or vary the prescribed terms. Ask the agent to walk you through every clause, especially the commission, and only sign when you understand it.

5. Agree the commission, and ask about GST

CEA does not set or cap commissions: they're decided by market forces, and you are free to negotiate. Agree the rate or amount up front and write it into the agreement. Ask whether GST is included: only GST-registered agencies can charge it.

When the deal completes, pay the commission to the agency, not to the individual agent.

6. Know the red flags

CEA's rules make some warning signs easy to spot. Walk away, or report it to CEA, if an agent:

• Acts for both sides. An agent can represent only you and collect commission only from you. Being appointed by both buyer and seller in the same deal is an offence. (Two agents working together, one for each side, called co-broking, is allowed.)
• Asks to handle your money. Agents are not allowed to handle transaction monies such as option fees, deposits, down payments, stamp duties or sale proceeds. Pay the right party directly, by bank transfer, PayNow or crossed cheque.
• Advertises your home without asking you first, or with details that aren't accurate.
• Recommends a moneylender. Agents must not introduce or refer you to one.
• Guarantees a price or a profit. Nobody can promise what a buyer will pay or what a property will be worth later.
• Rushes you to sign before you've read the agreement.

7. Choose someone who plans, not just sells

The last check is harder to measure but often decides the outcome. Does the agent think beyond this one transaction? For upgraders especially, selling and buying are one decision: timing the sale, the bridging loan, ABSD and its remission, your CPF refund and how much you'll have left for the next home.

Ask them to walk you through the whole sequence, with numbers, before you commit.

Another family owned a fully paid 4-room flat in Kallang. When we worked through their sums, we found one of them had no property in their name, which opened up an option they hadn't considered. They bought a freehold new launch near their daughter's school and kept their HDB flat, which now brings in rental income.

If an agent can't map out your options like this, or won't, keep looking.

Questions to ask before you appoint an agent

• What have you transacted in the last 12 months that's similar to my property?
• How would you price my home, and what evidence supports that range? (Sellers)
• What can I comfortably afford, including stamp duties and cash I'll need? (Buyers)
• How will you market my home: photos, video, portals, your own buyers?
• How often will you update me, and how do I reach you?
• Is this agreement exclusive or non-exclusive, and for how long?
• What's the commission, and is GST included?
• If I'm buying and selling, how will you time the two?

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a property agent is registered in Singapore?

Search the CEA Public Register on CEA's website by the agent's name, registration number or mobile number. Their profile shows their agency, transactions in the past 36 months, awards and any enforcement actions. If the mobile number doesn't lead to a registered agent, treat it as a likely scam.

How much commission does a property agent charge in Singapore?

There is no fixed rate. CEA doesn't regulate commissions, so they're set by the market and you can negotiate. Agree the amount or rate in the prescribed estate agency agreement before you sign, check whether GST applies, and pay the agency rather than the agent.

Can one agent represent both the buyer and the seller?

No. An agent can act for only one party and collect commission only from that party; acting for both sides in the same transaction is an offence. Two separate agents, one for each side, can co-broke and share commission between themselves.

Do I need an agent to sell or buy an HDB flat?

No. You can transact on your own through HDB's resale process. Many people still use an agent for pricing, marketing, negotiation and coordinating timelines, especially when they're selling one home and buying another at the same time.

What this means for you

Choosing an agent well takes about ten minutes on the CEA Public Register and one honest conversation about numbers. Check the registration and recent transactions, read the agreement, agree the commission, and watch for the red flags above.

If you'd like to put us through the same checks, you'll find our CEA registration numbers on our profiles, and we're happy to walk you through how we'd sell your home or plan your next purchase, with the numbers, before you decide anything.