CEA's New Three-Year Licensing & Registration Cycle and Currency Requirement – What It Means for You

Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for National Development & Transport, speaking at the recent Singapore Estate Agents Conference 2026. (Photos: MND)

Jul 2026 – 4 min read

If you are an estate agent (EA) or real estate salesperson (RES), two important changes are coming your way.

On 28 July 2026, Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for National Development & Transport, announced at the Singapore Estate Agents Conference 2026 that from 1 January 2027, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) will be moving to a three-year licensing and registration cycle, and will be introducing a new Currency Requirement (CR).

Here is a rundown of what is happening, why, and what you need to do.

How the Three-Year Cycle Works

The shift to a three-year cycle is part of a broader government push to streamline business processes and foster a pro-enterprise environment. Right now, EAs and RESs participate in the renewal exercise every year. Starting from the renewal exercise this year, EAs and RESs will benefit from having to renew your licence and registration only once every three years.

The first three-year cycle runs from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029. During the renewal exercise at the end of 2026, CEA will renew licences and registrations with a three-year validity from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029.

For anyone joining the industry on or after 1 January 2027, the three-year licence or registration validity starts from the date of joining and ends on 31 December of the third year. For example, if an RES joins the industry on 15 February 2028, his registration will be valid from 15 February 2028 to 31 December 2030.

Annual licence and registration fees remain unchanged. CEA is keeping to annual payments to avoid having EAs and RESs pay a lump sum upfront every three years. The application fee will be aligned with the new three-year cycle and paid only once every three years ($120 for EA licence application, $60 for RES registration application).

A balance between being pro-enterprise and upholding industry professionalism

Property transactions are among the biggest financial decisions Singaporeans make, and a property consumer’s natural follow-up question will be: if an RES can go three years without renewing their registration, how do we ensure they are still up to date on the rules, the processes, and the market?

CEA has been consulting the industry on this, and the feedback has been consistent — to uphold industry professionalism, RESs should complete property transactions regularly to keep up with evolving rules and regulations.

To this end, CEA will be introducing a new Currency Requirement (CR) from 1 January 2027, which RESs must meet to be eligible for registration renewal for another three years.  Under the CR, RESs who wish to renew their registration must complete at least three qualifying property transactions within their three-year registration period or pass a Refresher Examination.

The CR will complement the existing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement for registration renewal, which was enhanced under Project ADEPT (Advancing and Enhancing Professionalism and Training) to 16 training hours per year from 1 January 2026. The objective of the CPD requirement is to ensure that RESs continually develop the skills and competencies needed to serve their clients effectively, whilst the CR ensures that RESs maintain current knowledge of relevant rules and regulations, property transaction processes and market trends.

How to Meet the Currency Requirement

There are two ways for you, as an RES, to meet the CR for registration renewal:

Option 1: Complete at least three qualifying property transactions within your three-year registration period. Eligible transactions include residential, commercial and industrial transactions, foreign property sales, and en bloc sales. For residential transactions, one RES per side of the deal is recognised. For more complex commercial, industrial or en bloc transactions, CEA may recognise more than one RES per side. For these complex transactions, your EA must submit supporting documents to CEA for review on a case-by-case basis.

Option 2: Pass the Refresher Examination. If you cannot complete at least three property transactions by the end of the cycle, you are guaranteed a seat for the Refresher Examination. Once you pass the Refresher Examination, you will meet the CR for that cycle. More details on the examination will be announced in the first half of 2029.

Exceptions

New to the industry? You are exempted from the CR in the first calendar year when you first join, giving you time to find your footing and build your client base. From your second year onwards, the CR kicks in on a pro-rated basis — this means you'll need to complete two property transactions within the remaining two years.

Facing extenuating circumstances? If you are facing an extenuating situation such as a serious illness or an unusually complex transaction that has made it genuinely difficult to meet the CR, you can write to CEA to request a review.

Getting Ready

The end of 2026 is the first milestone to keep in mind — that is when the renewal exercise for the first three-year cycle takes place.  While you do not need to meet the CR for this upcoming renewal exercise, do make sure that your fulfilment of 16 CPD hours for 2026 is achieved by then.

Find out more about the three-year licencing and registration validity and Currency Requirement.

Information accurate as at 30 July 2026