Professional Development Reference Guide
The Professional Development Reference Guide helps real estate salespersons and Key Executive Officers to build their skills and competencies as part of their professional development journey.
Last updated 21 November 2025
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), in consultation with industry stakeholders, launched the Professional Development Reference Guide (PDRG) (PDF, 2.2MB) in November 2025 under Project ADEPT to support the professional development of the real estate agency industry.
The PDRG complements the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework, and provides structured guidance that aligns key stakeholders around common competency standards. It provides key information on the job roles, required skills, and expected proficiency levels.
The PDRG is designed to benefit multiple stakeholders within the real estate agency industry for:
Real estate salespersons (RESs)
Identify and make more informed decisions on their learning needs and take greater ownership of their professional development journey.
Close skills gaps with relevant training programmes.
Develop and deepen expertise to carry out their duties effectively.
Estate agents (EAs)
Establish a structured learning culture within the estate agent and develop training plan and programmes for RESs to support their training needs.
Enhance and broaden governance and workforce capabilities.
Course providers
Guide the development of training to achieve better alignment with industry needs.
Skills Map and Competency Guide
The PDRG features two core components:
a. Skills Map (PDF, 343KB) – Maps out the main job roles (i.e., RES, team leader, and Key Executive Officer) in the real estate agency industry and their corresponding key work functions, related skills, and competencies.
b. Competency Guide (PDF, 788KB) – Outlines the expected knowledge and abilities at Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced levels.
The Competency Guide complements the Skills Map, providing details for each competency area. RESs should use both documents together to identify their areas of strength and professional development opportunities.
How to apply the PDRG
Watch this video to learn how to use the Skills Map and Competency Guide.
FAQs
For real estate salespersons (RESs)
How can the Professional Development Reference Guide (PDRG) help me with my professional development and upskilling?
The PDRG Skills Map lists and spells out the skills required of each job role.
You can:
Assess your competencies against the Knowledge and Abilities Statements in the Competency Guide to determine your development needs and skills gaps for your current and aspiring job role.
Identify the skills and competencies required for both vertical (i.e., higher-level job roles) and lateral progressions (i.e., other areas of specialisation).
Identify the relevant training needed at CEA’s CPD Course Directory and SkillsFuture Singapore's website.
For estate agents (EAs)
How can I use the PDRG to develop my company’s training plan to support my RESs’ professional development?
EAs can refer to the Skills and Competencies in the Skills Map, and Knowledge and Abilities Statements in the Competency Guide to benchmark and assess your RESs’ performance, identify specific skills gaps, and invest in skills training.
The PDRG serves as a common reference to provide information on the job roles and the expected skills and competencies. EAs can customise and adapt the contents to suit your company’s contexts and needs.
For course providers and trainers
How can course providers use the PDRG to develop relevant training programmes?
The PDRG provides detailed Skills and Competencies mapping of key job roles across the real estate agency industry. Course providers and trainers can refer to the Skills Map and Competency Guide to design courseware and curricula that align with the specific competencies required for the job roles.