Past Disciplinary Cases

The following are disciplinary cases brought by the Council for Estate Agencies against salespersons or estate agents for breaching the Estate Agents Act (Cap. 95A) or regulations made thereunder including the Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care or the Code of Practice for Estate Agents.

These cases illustrate the misconduct which had been committed and the charges which were brought as well as the penalties that were imposed by the Disciplinary Committee upon the respective respondents. The cases are examples of breaches of the respective regulations and the penalties that are meted out for breaches would depend upon the facts and circumstances of each case. They are meant to inform salespersons about the disciplinary cases which have been concluded and to remind them not to commit such breaches of the Act or Regulations.

The cases are also meant to provide respondents in on-going disciplinary proceedings (who may be facing charges similar to those cited in the cases and who wish to know about precedents e.g. for plea bargaining purposes) with information on the previous decisions on penalties which were meted out by the Disciplinary Committee.

Filter by Year :

S/N Case Title
14/2022 Facilitating Lease of Whole Flat within Minimum Occupation Period under Guise of Room Rental Transaction (PDF, 60KB)
15/2022 Facilitating Lease of Whole Flat within Minimum Occupation Period under Guise of Room Rental Transaction (PDF, 63KB)
01/2021 Misrepresenting the Defects Liability Period of a Property to a Buyer and for Failing to Protect and Promote the Interests of their Client, the Seller (PDF, 555KB)
02/2021 Failure to Advise her Client on the Seller’s Stamp Duty payable in relation to the Sale of the Client’s Property (PDF, 364KB)
03/2021 Failure to Check and Ensure that an Alleged Company Representative had the Authority to Sign a Tenancy Agreement for the Rental of a Property on behalf of the Company (PDF, 244KB)
04/2021 Undertaking Estate Agency Work in Respect of HDB Flats without Complying with the Applicable Rules by Facilitating a Whole Unit Rental of an HDB Flat within Its Minimum Occupation Period (PDF, 356KB)
05/2021 Undertaking Estate Agency Work in Respect of HDB Flats without Complying with the Applicable Rules by Facilitating a Whole Unit Rental of an HDB Flat within Its Minimum Occupation Period (PDF, 259KB)
06/2021 Misrepresenting Built-In Area of Property, Excluding Estate Agent from Transaction and Failing to be Correctly and Clearly Identified in Advertisements
07/2021 Excluding Estate Agent from Transaction
08/2021 Failing to Submit Offer to Clients
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Contravention of HDB's rules

  1. Estate agents and salespersons must not undertake estate agency work in respect of Housing and Development Board flats unless they are fully conversant and comply with the applicable laws, regulations, rules and procedures that apply to transactions involving such flats.
  2. The following cases are meant to provide salespersons with a useful resource of past breaches. The cases can be accessed here (PDF,125KB). 

Advice to Salespersons

  • If the client's instructions are not in accordance with the law, the salesperson should advise the client accordingly. If the client persists, the salesperson should discharge himself.
  • Obtain consent to advertise before marketing any property.
  • Advertisements must provide accurate information.
  • If in doubt, the salesperson should verify the client's information.
  • Salespersons should not facilitate subletting of HDB rental flats.
  • HDB rental flats are not meant to be sublet and it is a serious matter to do so.