Case Studies
Foreigner Fined $10,000 for Acting as an Estate Agent without a Licence
19 March 2026
This case study is about a foreigner who was charged under Section 28(1)(b) of the Estate Agents Act (EAA) for acting as an unlicensed estate agent in relation to a lease transaction.
Mar 2026 - 3 min read
Acting as an estate agent without being licensed is an offence under Section 28(1)(b) of the Estate Agents Act 2010 (“EAA”).
There are stiff penalties for doing so.
This case study is about Ms Edna Flores Espina (Espina), a Filipino who was in Singapore on a social visit pass.
She was not an estate agent licensed with CEA at all material times.
However, that did not stop her from acting as an estate agent. Her modus operandi: Using a Facebook account under a pseudonym to interact with Facebook users interested in property rentals, and source opportunities to play middleman between landlords and tenants.
A quick guide for consumers:
Estate agent (EA) is the real estate agency industry term for a property agency.
Real estate salesperson (RES) is the industry term for a property agent.
To conduct estate agency work in Singapore, one must be:
an EA licensed by CEA, or
an RES registered with CEA through a licensed EA.
Acted as unlicensed estate agent
CEA’s investigations revealed that Espina had acted as an unlicensed estate agent on three occasions over a period of five months, sourcing prospective tenants and introducing them to the landlord of several properties. Espina would ask for a fee from the landlord and/or the tenant for each successful introduction.
On one such occasion in January 2023, Espina came across a Facebook post about an HDB flat bedroom for rent. She contacted the owner, A, and offered her services to find a tenant.
In February 2023, Espina received a message on Facebook from B, who was searching for a place to rent on Facebook. B had seen a comment by Espina in a post, which mentioned a property available for rent and asked those interested to message her.
B told Espina that he was looking for a room to rent and Espina asked if he would be interested to view the room, to which he agreed.
Espina then arranged for B to view the rental room, but Espina herself was not present at the viewing.
A informed B that the monthly rent was $500, and that he must pay one month’s rent as deposit.
B agreed to rent the room, and Espina subsequently received a fee of $200 from B for introducing him to A. Espina also received $100 and some gifts from A.
However, Espina did not ensure the signing of a formal tenancy agreement signed to formalise the lease between A and B.
Aside from facilitating this rental this transaction, Espina also offered her services to two other landlords to source prospective tenants between December 2022 and April 2023.
Charged in Court
As Espina had also committed an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), CEA worked with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to charge her in Court.
Espina pleaded guilty to one charge under Section 28(1)(b) of the EAA for acting as an unlicensed estate agent in relation to a lease transaction, and one charge under Section 10(1) of the EFMA for being a self-employed foreigner without a valid work pass.
Two other similar charges under the EAA were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The Court noted that while Espina had received payments from both the tenant and the landlord in two of the transactions, she did not ensure that the tenancy was finalised in writing, which was detrimental to the interests of the parties involved. She also did not return the payments she had received.
For the EAA offence, the Court sentenced Espina to a fine of $10,000, in default 20 days' imprisonment.
Tip for property consumers:
You can use CEA’s Public Register to verify that the property agent you are dealing with is registered with CEA.
You can submit a complaint against entities and individuals suspected of conducting unlicensed estate agency work via the “Submit Complaint” page on CEA’s website.
Information accurate as at 19 Mar 2026