Submit complaint

What type of complaints can CEA address?

CEA is empowered to investigate into complaints against licensed (EAs) and registered real estate salespersons (RESs) in their conduct of estate agency work, as well as as entities and individuals suspected of conducting unlicensed estate agency work.

Should you enter into a dispute with your RES, we encourage you to approach the EA to resolve the dispute.

If you cannot receive a satisfactory resolution, you can use CEA’s Dispute Resolution Scheme to resolve the dispute, provided it is relevant, and you have signed the relevant estate agency agreement. Alternatively, you may also wish to seek your own legal advice.

If you are unsure whether the dispute falls under CEA's purview, you may call CEA's customer service hotline at 1800-643-2555 for assistance.

Kindly note that airtime charges apply for mobile calls to 1800 service lines and calls are free of charge only if made from regular land lines. Please check with your telecommunications provider for more details.

Common complaints

Some of the common complaints that CEA has received include but are not limited to the following:

1. Unprofessional/ poor service rendered by RESs

2. Advertisements with misleading information.

3. Advertisements without prior consent from owners.

4. Misconduct of RESs

5. Miscommunication/ misrepresentation by RESs

6. Salespersons breaking or facilitating in breaking of Housing & Development Board’s (HDB’s) rules and regulations

Filing a complaint

You will need provide the following information, but not limited to:

• Full name (as in NRIC / Passport)

• Address and contact number

• Copies of all relevant documents e.g., Estate Agency Agreement with the EA or RES* concerned, the Option to Purchase, and the Sale and Purchase Agreement, etc.

(*Note: Under the Estate Agents Act (Cap.95A),"estate agents" refer to estate agency businesses (sole proprietors, partnerships, and companies) or individuals who do estate agency work. Estate agency businesses are commonly known as property agencies. "Salespersons" refer to individuals who perform estate agency work. They are commonly known as property agents.)

Your complaint must:

• Be specific

• Include the name, business address and contact numbers of the estate agent or salesperson

• Contain a brief description of the complaint

Before lodging a complaint, do have the relevant supporting documents and your Singpass login and password ready.

You may lodge your complaint to CEA by completing the complaint form. Saved drafts will be kept for 7 days from the date of creation.

For further enquiries on how to lodge a complaint, please call our toll-free line at 1800-643-2555.

Kindly note that airtime charges apply for mobile calls to 1800 service lines and calls are free of charge only if made from regular land lines. Please check with your telecommunications provider for more details.

Complaint management

EAs must have in place a system with suitable processes for the receipt and investigation of complaints against the EA or any of their RESs.

All complaints against the EA or any of its RESs must be investigated. A report, providing details of the results of investigation and actions taken, must be provided to CEA within 2 weeks of the receipt of a complaint, unless otherwise directed by CEA.

In the case in which the complainant is making a claim against the EA or RES, the EA shall meet with the complainant to explore the possibility of an amicable resolution.

How CEA manages your complaint 

1. Preliminary assessment 

We will make a preliminary assessment of the complaint received. Your complaint will be assigned to an investigation officer if your complaint falls within our jurisdiction and warrants an investigation.

For complaints that are not within CEA's purview, where insufficient information is provided, or there is lack of substantive evidence, we will not be able to proceed further.

2. Interview 

Depending on the circumstances, the investigation officer may arrange for a meeting with you at CEA's office to obtain a statement detailing your account of the events.

3. Investigation 

Our investigation process may involve setting out the allegations made against the estate agent or real estate salesperson concerned in writing and giving them the opportunity to respond. We may also conduct interviews with witnesses and other related parties, review relevant documents and materials, and conduct site visits, if necessary. We may enlist the help of law enforcement agencies and other government authorities, where necessary.

4. Outcome 

If there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation, we will take the appropriate action, which may include disciplinary or prosecution action (if and as applicable). Currently, we handle around 800 complaint cases a year. Depending on the complexity of the issues, we generally take from 4 months to a year to conclude the investigation and evaluation of a case. This excludes the duration of disciplinary or prosecution action, if and as applicable.

We will keep you informed in writing of the outcome after the investigation and evaluation of the case is concluded or upon the commencement of disciplinary/ prosecution action, as applicable.