Apply for the real estate agency course
Aspiring Key Executive Officers are required to complete the the real estate agency course. Find out about the requirements and the Approved Course Providers.
Last updated 2 April 2026
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) requires aspiring Key Executive Officers (KEOs) to complete the Real Estate Agency (REA) examination preparatory course conducted by CEA Approved Course Providers and obtain their Certificates of REA Course Completion before registering for the REA examination. Only the Certificate of REA Course Completion issued by CEA Approved Course Providers will be recognised for the purpose of taking the REA examination.
You may not be required to take the REA course and REA examination if you possess any of the recognised qualifications in the table below:
Qualifications equivalent to REA examinations
Name of Qualifications | Issuing Body |
Bachelor of Business Administration (Real Estate)1 | National University of Singapore (NUS) |
Bachelor of Science (Real Estate)2 | |
Bachelor of Science (Estate Management)3 | |
Bachelor of Real Estate (Property Management)3 | |
Bachelor of Real Estate (Valuation)3 | |
Diploma in Real Estate Business2 | Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) |
Diploma In Building Management3 | |
Diploma In Building & Real Estate Management3 | |
Diploma In Property Development & Facilities Management3 | Singapore Polytechnic (SP) |
Diploma In Building & Property Management3 |
Note:
Holders of the Bachelor of Business Administration (Real Estate) qualification from NUS are exempted from REA examination Paper 1. From 2027, they will be required to take REA examination Paper 2.
Bachelor of Science (Real Estate) from NUS and Diploma in Real Estate Business NP:
Holders of these qualifications who enrolled on or after 1 April 2020 are exempted from REA examination Paper 1. They will be required to take REA examination Papers 2 and 3 in 2026. If they are taking the REA examination in 2027, they will be required to take REA examination Paper 2.
To be eligible to sit for REA examination Papers 2 and 3 in 2026, they must complete the partial REA course for Papers 2 and 3. Course completers will be issued with the Certificate of Completion for REA Course (Papers 2 and 3). From 2027, REA course requirement will no longer be mandatory.
Holders of these qualifications who enrolled before 1 April 2020 remain fully exempted from all REA examination papers.
These courses are no longer offered by NUS, NP, and SP. Holders of these degree or diploma qualifications remain fully exempted from all REA examination papers.
Individuals who have passed all 3 examinations in General Practice by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on or before 1 March 2023 shall be deemed to have obtained qualifications equivalent to a pass in the REA examinations.
Holders of all other qualifications will be required to take and pass the RES or REA examination if they wish to become an RES or a KEO respectively.
REA examinations in 2025 and 2026:
The Certificate of REA Course Completion has a validity period of two years. You are eligible to take the REA examination within two years from the date of your Certificate of REA Course Completion. Beyond the two-year validity period, you must attend and complete the REA course again if you wish to take the REA examination. There will be no extension of the REA course certificate validity period.
REA examinations from 1 January 2027:
If you are sitting for REA examinations from 1 January 2027, the Certificate of REA Course Completion is not required.
For more information on the removal of the REA course requirement and the validity period of modular REA examination passes, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 186KB).
List of CEA Approved Course Providers for the REA course
CEA Approved Course Provider | Contact details |
Real Centre Network Pte Ltd | Website: www.realcentrenetwork.com |
Singapore Institute of Estate Agents | Website: www.siea.org.sg |
Course requirement for aspiring KEOs
You must have either:
A minimum of four GCE O-Level passes (results may be combined from a maximum of two examination sittings) or equivalent, which is one of the regulatory requirements for KEOs; or
Attained Level 5 and above in all five components of the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WPLN) assessment: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing and Numeracy. Find out more about the WPLN Assessment (PDF, 935KB) developed by the British Council in collaboration with SkillsFuture Singapore at the British Council website.
For overseas qualifications or local private qualifications, you may email the academic certificates and academic transcripts together with the completed Educational Qualification Assessment form (PDF, 209KB), to CEA at licensing@cea.gov.sg for assessment. You must attach all supporting documents when submitting your application.
Note:
We do not accept education certificates certified by a notary public as verification proof.
If you do not have original copies of your certificates, you must provide a letter of confirmation of award or a duplicate copy of the certificate from the issuing institution/ university.
For bachelor and above qualifications from China, you must provide verification proof from the Center for Student Services and Development, Ministry of Education, P.R. China (CSSD) if you do not have the original copies of your certificates.
Qualifications assessed to be accepted in lieu of four GCE O-Level passes for the purpose of REA course registration, REA examination registration, and KEO application, are valid for a period of three years from the date of CEA's notification. After this period, you will need to resubmit a fresh application for qualification assessment.