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Council for Estate Agencies
Industry Spotlight

What You Need to Know about the Professional Development Reference Guide (PDRG)

19 December 2025

Find out more about the Professional Development Reference Guide (PDRG), which provides guidance on the skills and competencies required for different job roles in the real estate agency industry.

Dec 2025 – 3 min read


The new Professional Development Reference Guide (PDRG) is a resource that will help you to plan your training pathway and grow as a professional in the real estate agency industry – whether you are a real estate salesperson (RES), team leader, or Key Executive Officer (KEO).

What is the Professional Development Reference Guide (PDRG)?

The PDRG is one of the enhancement measures under Project ADEPT that supports your professional development and complements the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework.

It was announced by Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport, Ms Sun Xueling, at the Singapore Real Estate Agents Excellence Award 2025 organised by the Singapore Institute of Estate Agents (SIEA) on 21 November 2025.

Developed by the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) in consultation with industry stakeholders, the PDRG provides guidance on the skills and competencies required for different job roles in the real estate agency industry.

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Who benefits from the PDRG?

The PDRG supports different industry stakeholders in various ways.

  • RESs can use it to map learning pathways and identify training and development needs

  • Estate agents (EAs) can adopt it to develop targeted training plans and programmes for their RESs

  • Training providers can refer to it when designing programmes that are better aligned with industry needs

Own your professional development

The PDRG will help you to plan and navigate your professional development.

By taking ownership of your learning journey, you can create purposeful CPD experiences that build relevant skills, address real challenges, and align with your professional aspirations.

In addition to mapping out the required skills and competencies for your current job role, the PDRG helps you plan for the skills and competencies you will need in future.

Here are three key things you need to know:

  1. The PDRG has two core components

The PDRG has two components that should be cross-referenced together:

  • The Skills Map describes the related skills and competencies you need in your main job role and your aspiring role (e.g. RES, team leader, or KEO).

  • The Competency Guide complements the Skills Map by providing details for each competency area. It shows how you can upskill – from basic to intermediate and advanced levels – in terms of your knowledge and abilities.

Together, these two components help you to identify your strengths and gaps, and chart your professional development journey.

  1. The PDRG lets you understand your strengths and development opportunities

You can use the Skills Map to assess where you are today in terms of your competencies, and plan how you can level up for the job role that you want.

For example, if you are an RES aspiring to lead a team, the PDRG shows you what skills and competencies you would need to be an effective team leader. By comparing your current competencies against the Knowledge and Abilities Statements in the Competency Guide, you can identify your development needs and skills gaps for your current and aspiring job role.

  1. The PDRG helps you pick the right training for your needs

Once you have identified the skills and competencies you need to develop, you can sign up for the relevant training to achieve your professional development goals.

Whether you are an RES who needs to stay current with regulatory changes or a team leader working on management skills, you can find suitable courses through CEA’s CPD Course Directory and SkillsFuture Singapore’s website. This targeted approach ensures your professional development efforts align with your career objectives.

Information accurate as at 19 Dec 2025

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