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Learn about what you need to take note of if you are engaging a property agent to facilitate your property sale and purchase transaction.
Last updated 18 August 2025
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Prescribed Estate Agency Agreement
When engaging a property agent to buy or sell a property, you are encouraged to enter into an exclusive agreement or non-exclusive agreement with your property agent, even if you are familiar with your property agent.
You may use CEA’s Prescribed Estate Agency Agreement templates, which act as a binding contract between you and your property agent, and provide clarity on the terms for which your property agent is providing services for you (e.g., scope of work, commission fee).
Exclusive Agreement Template | Non-Exclusive Agreement Template |
For sellers For buyers | For sellers For buyers |
Before signing any of the Prescribed Estate Agency Agreements, you should ask your property agent to go through the clauses in the agreement with you.
If you and your property agent wish to include mutually agreeable terms and conditions that are not in CEA’s Prescribed Estate Agency Agreement, these additional terms should be added in the space provided or on a separate pink sheet of paper. The additional terms cannot conflict with, or vary from, the prescribed terms.
You should only sign the Prescribed Estate Agency Agreement after you have understood all clauses, especially those on commission.
Standard contract templates for private residential resale transactions
The Option to Purchase (OTP) and Agreement for the Sale and Purchase (S&P agreement) documents contain general applicable clauses that govern the obligations of sellers and buyers for the sale and purchase of private residential properties.
You can use the following standard contract templates for your transaction.
Checklists for sale and purchase transactions
You are encouraged to go through the respective checklists for your sale and purchase transaction with your property agent, before entering into any residential property contract.
Completed private residential property
Seller | Buyer |
For sellers For seller’s property agent | For buyers For buyer’s property agent |
Uncompleted private residential property
Seller | Buyer |
For sellers For seller’s property agent | For buyers For buyer’s property agent |
Frequently asked questions
Here are some frequently asked questions relating to sale and purchase transactions facilitated by property agents.
Are property agents allowed to collect my NRIC or other identification details e.g., take photos or make photocopies of my ID?
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC)’s Advisory Guidelines on the The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC)’s Advisory Guidelines for NRIC and other National Identification Numbers state that an organisation may collect, use, or disclose a person’s NRIC number with notification and consent, when it is necessary to accurately establish or verify the identity of the individual to a high degree of fidelity.
This applies to property transactions as the inability to accurately identify an individual to a high degree of fidelity may pose a risk of significant impact or harm to an individual, organisation, or both.
Hence, property agencies and agents can request to collect the NRIC, FIN, or passport numbers of their clients, specifically for the purposes of facilitating property transactions. Property agents can take photos and make photocopies of the documents when necessary. The information collected should not be used for other purposes or shared with other parties not involved in the property transaction.
How much commission should I be paying?
There are no fixed commission rates nor prescribed guidelines on commission amounts.
You should discuss and agree on the commission amount and terms with your property agent before he/ she starts work. You should also check if GST is payable on the commission.
The agreed commission amount can be documented in the Prescribed Estate Agency Agreement. When the transaction is completed, you will need to honour and pay the agreed commission to the property agency, not to the property agent.
Do take note that property agents cannot collect commission from more than one party in the same transaction, as doing so is an offence. If your property agent collects a commission from you, he cannot collect a commission or a co-broking fee from the other party or from the other party’s property agent. Even if your property agent has helped the other party with paperwork, he should not receive any fees from the other party.
What is the Customer’s Particulars Form and why should I provide my property agent with my personal details?
Investing in real estate is one of the ways criminals launder their illegally obtained money. By identifying the parties involved in the property transaction, especially the beneficial owner, authorities can effectively combat these illicit activities.
Property agents play an important role in Singapore’s anti-money laundering efforts. When facilitating a property transaction, they are required to carry out various measures to mitigate the risk of money laundering, proliferation financing, and terrorism financing when facilitating any property transaction. This includes conducting Customer Due Diligence checks, which involve filling out the Customer’s Particulars Form with relevant information obtained from their clients.
It is important that you cooperate with your property agent. You should provide your property agent with the required information to complete the Customer's Particulars Form, which can be found in Annex E1 of the Guide on Estate Agents (Prevention of Money Laundering, Proliferation Financing and Terrorism Financing) Regulations 2021 (PDF, 804KB).