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Regulatory and enforcement framework

Learn about CEA’s regulatory and enforcement framework for Singapore’s real estate agency industry.

Last updated 15 August 2025

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Guiding principles
CEA’s regulatory framework 

The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) Regulatory and Enforcement Framework Guide outlines the CEA’s regulatory and enforcement framework for property estate agencies and agents. This framework safeguards the interests of property consumers and ensures that the real estate agency industry upholds high professional standards in the performance of estate agency work.

For more details, you can refer to the full CEA Regulatory and Enforcement Framework Guide (PDF, 656KB).

Guiding principles

The CEA regulatory and enforcement framework is guided by the following principles:

  • Uphold professional standards in the real estate agency industry through robust enforcement actions against offences and disciplinary breaches

  • Safeguard the interests of property consumers and enhance public trust in the reputation and integrity of the real estate agency industry

  • Administer fair and just outcomes through a calibrated approach towards enforcement and disciplinary actions, taking into account all relevant facts and circumstances, and ensuring commensurability with the severity of the misconduct

CEA’s regulatory framework 

CEA’s regulatory framework is based on the Estate Agents Act 2010 (EAA) and its subsidiary legislation, including the Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care (CEPCC) and the Code of Practice for Estate Agents (COPEA).

Upon receipt of a complaint about a property agent or agency, CEA assesses the merits of the case and determines whether it should conduct an investigation or refer it to the property agency for service recovery. If the complaint is substantiated, we will take appropriate enforcement action against the errant property agent or agency.

You can refer to the following document for an overview of CEA’s Regulatory and Enforcement Framework (PDF, 270KB).

Enforcement actions against offences

Certain types of misconduct are legislated as statutory offences under the EAA or its subsidiary legislation. They are more serious in nature and hence criminalised as an offence when an individual or entity engages in such misconduct. CEA may initiate court prosecution if the circumstances are serious and warrant prosecution.

Here are examples of offences under the EAA and the types of enforcement actions CEA may take (PDF, 182KB).

Enforcement actions against disciplinary breaches

CEA will take the appropriate enforcement actions based on the outcome of its investigations into potential disciplinary breaches, taking into account the following non-exhaustive factors, such as the severity of the misconduct, the number of disciplinary breaches or offences previously committed, and the facts and circumstances of the case. Enforcement actions include CEA Disciplinary Committee (DC) proceedings, Letters of Censure (LOC), and other administrative actions.

You can refer to the following document for more details on the enforcement actions that we may take against disciplinary breaches (PDF, 272KB).

Other relevant information

CEA conducts scheduled and ad-hoc inspections on property agencies to ensure they comply with the EAA and its subsidiary legislation. To protect property consumers’ interests and uphold professional standards, CEA ensures that only “fit and proper” persons are allowed to carry out real estate agency work.

Read more about the scheduled and ad-hoc inspections on property agencies that CEA conducts to ensure compliance with the EAA and its subsidiary legislation, as well as additional information on CEA’s inspection process, sentencing approach, and “fit and proper” criterion (PDF, 134KB).