From January 1, 2027, all property agents in Singapore must complete at least three property transactions over three years or pass a refresher examination to be eligible for licence renewal, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) announced [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The new rule applies to all property types, including residential sales and rentals, commercial and industrial transactions, foreign property sales, and en bloc sales [6].
Agents who fail to meet the minimum transaction count and do not pass the refresher exam must exit the industry and can only re-enter after passing the Real Estate Salesperson examination [2, 3, 4, 6]. Newly registered agents are exempt from the transaction requirement in their first year but must complete at least two transactions over the following two years or pass the exam [6]. Waivers may be granted for agents facing medical or other valid extenuating circumstances [6].
In conjunction with these changes, the CEA will extend the validity of all property agent licences and registrations from one year to three years starting January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The extension aims to reduce repetitive administrative work for agents and agencies [1, 5].
As of July 1, 2026, there were 38,162 registered property agents and 1,018 property agencies in Singapore [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. However, data from January 1, 2026 showed that about 40% (12,920) of 32,967 agents registered since 2023 did not complete at least three residential transactions from 2023 to 2025 [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The median number of residential property transactions per agent annually during this period was two [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Some stakeholders expressed concern that transaction counts might not fully reflect an agent’s professional ability and warned of risks such as "borrowing" transactions to meet requirements [5].
Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling said, "Consumers should be able to trust that their property agent’s advice reflects the latest rules and regulations" [2]. CEA executive director Chan Khar Liang added that industry stakeholders have highlighted the potential to raise professional standards through the new requirements [2]. OrangeTee & Tie CEO 李贞慧 said the changes "do not fundamentally alter agents’ professional responsibilities but reasonably simplify regulatory procedures" [5]. Experienced property agent 陈丽子 cautioned about misinformation risks, saying some agents "may give inaccurate information causing delays or other problems" [5]. The Real Estate Agencies Association president 林东荣 said the minimum of three transactions over three years is a reasonable baseline for agents intending to practice continuously [5].
The Ministry of National Development and CEA are also studying further measures, including consumer rating systems for agents and direct property listings by sellers on portals [1]. Starting January 1, 2027, CEA will begin collecting data on non-residential transactions as part of its oversight efforts [1, 6].
