# Property agencies welcome new minimum transaction rule, seek safeguards for consumer ratings

- **Source:** Channel NewsAsia
- **Published:** 2026-07-28T22:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** Erin Liam
- **Original:** https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/property-agencies-minimum-transactions-consumer-ratings-cea-6283516
- **Topics:** Transactions & Deals

## Featured rationale

The requirement signals higher professional standards and could shrink inactive agency rosters, potentially giving consumers access to a more current and engaged agent pool.

## AI summary

From 2027, property agents must complete three transactions over three years or pass a refresher examination to renew their three-year registrations.

## Original article

SINGAPORE: The requirement for property agents to complete at least three transactions over three years to get their licence renewed is fair, said property agencies on Tuesday (Jul 28) as they welcomed the new measure. The move, in line with the extension of validity periods for all property agency licences and agent registrations from one year to three years, would help to raise industry standards, they added. “The industry expects this to happen,” said Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at Huttons Group. He noted that the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) had been engaging industry stakeholders on ensuring agents are up-to-date. Mr Lee said that the new measures – taken together with the requirement that property agents must complete 16 training hours per year to maintain their registrations – will raise the professionalism of property agents. “The consumer will also benefit because if the salesperson is current with the market, then they will be giving better advice to the consumer as well,” he said. Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling announced the new measures on Tuesday, along with several longer-term measures that are being studied, including allowing consumer ratings for individual agents. Agents who do not meet the transaction requirement can instead pass a refresher examination to remain eligible for licence renewal. Those who fail to meet the requirements and wish to return to the industry must retake and pass the real estate salesperson examination. While three in four consumers surveyed in CEA's 2024 Public Perception Survey expected their property agents to complete at least one property transaction per year, about 40 per cent of property agents do not meet this expectation today. “REASONABLE AND MEASURED” Chief agency officer at PropNex Eddie Lim said the minimum transaction is a “reasonable and measured” benchmark. This represents an average of one transaction per year. From 2023 to 2025, the median number of residential property transactions completed by each agent per year was two. This figure covers only residential property transactions as CEA does not currently collect information on non-residential property transactions. The new requirement also recognises different transaction types including residential, commercial, industrial, foreign property and en bloc transactions, Mr Lim said. “The measures should contribute to a more current, committed and professionally engaged salesforce,” he said, adding that the framework provides different pathways for renewal. Ms Avril Lee, key executive officer of OrangeTee and Tie by Realion Group, said completing at least three transactions over three years demonstrates a “basic level of practical exposure”. The refresher examination provides an alternative structured pathway, especially for those who balance the profession with other commitments or specialise in niche, longer-cycle deals where transaction frequency is naturally lower, she added. “But it is also important to note that professionalism is not defined by a single policy, or ticking the regulatory boxes,” she said. “It should be a combination of competency, ethics, accountability and continuous learning, and more importantly, a genuine commitment to the client. “An agent's value is also built on relationship-building and complex negotiations, which will also require significant time and expertise. “By ensuring agents stay active and up-to-date with industry practices, we are giving consumers the confidence that they are working with dedicated, current professionals.”

Along with the requirement, existing property agencies and agents will transition to a three-year licence or registration, up from the current one year. The first three-year cycle will run from Jan 1, 2027 to Dec 31, 2029. Mr Adam Wang, key executive officer of LandPLUS, said this would minimise the administrative workload for the 80-person property group. “Every year, when it comes to the renewal process, the amount of work just to handle the renewal can be quite cumbersome,” he said. He added that extending the validity periods for agent registrations will allow the agency to devote more resources and time to develop its agents professionally. SAFEGUARDS Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at property platform Mogul.sg, said there could be a loophole in the transaction requirement, as an agent with more than the required number of property transactions may register transactions under the name of the inactive agent. For the majority of property transactions, CEA will recognise one property agent for each side of a completed property transaction. “Real estate agents are very creative people. They could work around the currency requirement by ‘borrowing’ property transactions from other agents who have completed more than three transactions during the registration period,” he said. “Since it is easier to ‘borrow’ the property transactions than to sit for the refresher examination, such private arrangements among property agents will become more common in the future.” Some property agencies also called for safeguards for the potential consumer rating of their property agents on the CEA public register. Currently, the register provides consumers with the licence and registration details of any property agency and property agent. Mr Wang said this measure stood out. “It could also open up risk whereby there could be reviews that are made impulsively or without much thought,” he said, although he noted that most consumers would use the rating service appropriately. PropNex’s Mr Lim said ratings should come with the “appropriate safeguards”. These include verified transactions, providing the proper context and allowing salespersons a fair opportunity to respond. There should also be clear processes to address inaccurate, malicious or misleading reviews. “The objective should be to provide consumers with reliable information through a framework that is transparent, balanced and fair to all parties,” he added.

PROPERTY AGENT NUMBERS As of Jul 1, there were 38,162 property agents and 1,018 property agencies in Singapore. Mr Mak said the size of some property agencies could contract with the new requirement. “These agents obtained their property agent’s licence years ago and do not wish to give up their licences because it is difficult to obtain it, even though they are not practising or working as property agents,” he said. Property agencies, however, said the focus is not on the number of agents, but the quality of their services. PropNex’s Mr Lee said their priority is to support their salespeople to understand the available pathways. “We see this as an opportunity to encourage greater professional engagement rather than focusing prematurely on how many may be affected,” he added. OrangeTee and Tie’s Ms Lee added: “The new requirement will help cultivate a more active and up-to-date agent pool. “But it should not be viewed as a policy designed to reduce agent numbers.” Huttons’ Mr Lee said he does not see the new requirements as a barrier to entry for newcomers. Despite the minimum training requirement rolled out earlier this year, the agency still sees many people taking real estate courses and the real estate salesperson examination. “If you raise the overall professionalism in the industry, it's actually good for the image of the industry as well. “So when this whole image is being raised, it may in fact attract even more people who are contemplating, exploring a career as a salesperson.”

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 产业中介机构欢迎新的最低成交量规定，并呼吁为消费者评分设立保障措施

产业代理理事会（CEA）正研究引入对产业代理的消费者评分等措施，以提升透明度与选择空间。

新加坡：多家产业中介机构周二（7月28日）表示，产业代理须在三年内完成至少三宗交易才能续牌的要求是公平的，并欢迎这项新措施。他们补充说，此举与所有产业中介机构执照及代理注册有效期由一年延长至三年相配套，有助于提升行业标准。Huttons Group数据分析高级董事李思德（Lee Sze Teck）先生说：“业界预期会有这样的措施。”他指出，产业代理理事会（CEA）一直在与行业利益相关方沟通，以确保代理保持与时俱进。李先生表示，新措施——连同产业代理每年须完成16小时培训以维持注册的要求——将提升产业代理的专业水平。他说：“消费者也会受益，因为如果销售人员紧跟市场，他们也能为消费者提供更好的建议。”国家发展部高级政务部长孙雪玲周二宣布了新措施，以及多项正在研究的较长期措施，包括允许对个别代理进行消费者评分。未达成交量要求的代理，可改考并通过复习考试，以维持续牌资格。未能达到要求、又希望重返行业的人士，必须重考并通过产业销售人员考试。尽管在CEA 2024年公众观感调查中，四分之三的受访消费者期望其产业代理每年至少完成一宗产业交易，但目前约有40%的产业代理未能达到这一期望。“合理且审慎”PropNex首席机构官林金财（Eddie Lim）表示，最低成交量是一项“合理且审慎”的基准。这相当于平均每年一宗交易。2023年至2025年，每名代理每年完成的住宅产业交易中位数为两宗。该数据仅涵盖住宅产业交易，因为CEA目前不收集非住宅产业交易的信息。林先生表示，新要求也认可不同交易类型，包括住宅、商业、工业、海外产业及集体出售（en bloc）交易。他说：“这些措施应有助于打造一支更与时俱进、更投入且专业参与的销售队伍。”并补充说，该框架为续牌提供了不同路径。OrangeTee and Tie by Realion Group主要执行官李玮琳（Avril Lee）女士表示，在三年内完成至少三宗交易，体现了“基本水平的实务历练”。她补充说，复习考试提供了另一条结构化路径，尤其适合需兼顾其他事务、或专营周期较长、成交频率本就较低的利基交易的从业者。她说：“但同样重要的是，专业水平并非由单一政策或勾选合规选项来界定。”“它应是能力、道德、问责与持续学习的结合，更重要的是对客户的真诚承诺。”“代理的价值也建立在关系经营与复杂谈判之上，这同样需要大量时间与专业能力。”“通过确保代理保持活跃并紧跟行业实践，我们让消费者有信心，他们所合作的是投入、与时俱进的专业人士。”

除上述要求外，现有产业中介机构及代理将过渡至三年期执照或注册，较目前的一年期延长。首个三年周期为2027年1月1日至2029年12月31日。LandPLUS主要执行官王先生（Adam Wang）表示，这将为这家约80人的产业集团减少行政工作量。他说：“每年到了续牌流程时，仅处理续牌本身的工作量就相当繁重。”他补充说，延长代理注册有效期，将使机构能把更多资源与时间投入代理的专业发展。保障措施产业平台Mogul.sg首席研究官麦俊荣（Nicholas Mak）先生表示，成交量要求可能存在漏洞，因为成交量超过所需数量的代理，可能把交易登记在不活跃代理名下。对于大多数产业交易，CEA在每宗已完成交易中，买卖双方各认可一名产业代理。他说：“产业代理很有创意。他们可能通过‘借用’其他在注册期内完成超过三宗交易的代理的成交，来规避活跃度要求。”“既然‘借用’成交比参加复习考试更容易，这类代理之间的私下安排未来会变得更常见。”一些产业中介机构也呼吁，若CEA公共名册未来纳入对其产业代理的消费者评分，应设立保障措施。目前，该名册为消费者提供任何产业中介机构及产业代理的执照与注册详情。王先生表示，这项措施格外引人注目。他说：“这也可能带来风险，即出现冲动、未经深思的评价。”不过他也指出，大多数消费者会恰当使用评分服务。PropNex的林先生表示，评分应附带“适当的保障措施”。这些措施包括核实交易、提供适当背景，并给予销售人员公平回应的机会。还应有明确流程，处理不准确、恶意或具误导性的评价。他补充说：“目标应是通过一个对各方透明、平衡且公平的框架，为消费者提供可靠信息。”

产业代理人数截至7月1日，新加坡共有38,162名产业代理及1,018家产业中介机构。麦先生表示，在新要求下，部分产业中介机构的规模可能收缩。他说：“这些代理多年前就取得了产业代理执照，即使并不执业或从事产业代理工作，也不愿放弃执照，因为取得执照并不容易。”不过，产业中介机构表示，重点不在代理人数，而在于服务质素。PropNex的李先生表示，他们的优先事项是支持销售人员了解可用路径。他补充说：“我们视此为鼓励更大程度专业投入的机会，而不是过早关注可能有多少人受影响。”OrangeTee and Tie的李女士补充说：“新要求将有助于培育更活跃、更与时俱进的代理队伍。”“但不应将其视为一项旨在减少代理人数的政策。”Huttons的李先生表示，他并不认为新要求是新人进入行业的障碍。尽管今年稍早已推出最低培训要求，该机构仍看到许多人报读房地产课程并参加产业销售人员考试。“如果你提升了整个行业的专业水平，实际上也有利于行业形象。”“因此当整体形象提升时，事实上可能吸引更多正在考虑、探索销售人员职业的人。”