How greater transparency puts pressure on property agents and agencies to do better
SINGAPORE – Bad behaviour could now cost property agents and agencies more business, as the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) makes it easier for consumers to look up past disciplinary records. This means those who buy, sell, or rent a home can see at a glance the type of enforcement actions taken
By Joyce Lim
SINGAPORE – Bad behaviour could now cost property agents and agencies more business, as the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) makes it easier for consumers to look up past disciplinary records.
This means those who buy, sell, or rent a home can see at a glance the type of enforcement actions taken against agents in the past three years.
They can also see a full list of which property agencies have had such action taken against their agents.
This push for greater transparency puts pressure on both agents and agencies to improve standards if they do not want their reputations to suffer.
CEA’s changes, which aim to raise the professionalism of the industry, were implemented on June 10. They follow the property market’s post-Covid-19 boom and an uptick in complaints against errant agents.
In 2024, CEA received 1,271 complaints against agents and agencies, 13 per cent more than the 1,126 complaints received in 2023.
The top complaint was about service and involved issues such as agents being late, failing to follow up and communicating poorly.
But other complaints point to more substantive concerns, including misleading advertisements and non-compliance with property transactions and procedures.
These can have a bigger impact on consumers, as misleading advertisements can result in decisions made on inaccurate information. And if agents fail to follow rules and procedures, deals may be delayed or fall through, and parties involved could face financial loss.
The number of breaches that property agents have been taken to task for has also increased. CEA’s latest statistics showed 82 enforcement actions taken against agents from nine agencies in 2025, up from 61 actions against agents from 10 agencies in 2024.
In December 2025, CEA issued ERA Realty Network a letter of censure for three breaches involving its supervision of agents. It was the first time one of Singapore’s Big Five property agencies had such action taken against it.
The case arose from repeated misleading advertisements by one of its agents who was fined $28,000 and suspended for six months in October 2025. CEA also found shortcomings in ERA’s system for managing suspended agents.
In another high-profile case in July 2025, two agents were censured for customer due-diligence lapses linked to transactions connected with Singapore’s $3 billion money laundering case. They were fined $5,000 and $2,000 respectively.
These cases show why the register matters. Often, people rely on referrals and word of mouth to choose an agent to represent them.
Many also trust their agents to explain the rules and procedures in buying or selling their property.
The enhanced register allows consumers to do their own checks beyond whether an agent is registered, and gives them another way to assess risk.
A clean record is not a guarantee of good service. But if the agent’s record shows a serious breach, consumers should ask what happened and consider whether they are comfortable entrusting that person with a high-value transaction.
When asked about the CEA’s latest move, agencies said they welcomed the push to raise standards, but stressed that they already had compliance and training systems in place.
Huttons Asia chief executive Mark Yip said: “Transparency is one of the most effective governance tools available, it creates accountability that goes beyond regulatory enforcement alone.”
Agencies that invested in compliance, training and supervision could distinguish themselves, he said, while “those that have not will feel the pressure acutely”.
ERA Singapore key executive officer Eugene Lim said an agent’s record now serves as his or her “public curriculum vitae”. The statistics, though based on past cases, are a reminder for agencies to stay vigilant, he said.
Deputy group chief executive of Realion (OrangeTee and ETC) Group Justin Quek said the register could also encourage competition based on professionalism, not just sales volume.
The consequences of the new register may be more direct for agents.
An agent with repeated breaches may find it harder to win business, while an agent with a clean record could make it his business pitch.
At the same time, consumers should look at the details of each case, rather than just rely on numbers.
A large agency may have more cases simply because it has more agents and handles more transactions. A minor procedural lapse is also not the same as a serious misconduct.
The enhanced register is a significant step towards greater transparency and empowering consumers.
As property transactions are among the biggest financial decisions for most consumers, they should start doing their own checks before a deal is signed. The register should give agents and agencies more reason to keep their records clean.