Hello there!
Are you looking to embarki on a property agent career?
Interested to know how you can be a part of this lucrative and exciting industry that has made many of our agents millionaires and multiple property investors themselves?
Find out quickly the 3 steps to take to join Singapore's real estate industry!
How much does it cost to take and pass the real estate course and exams?
Before you can attain your licence and ID tag as a property agent, these are the costs you will need to prepare for:
1. Real Estate Agent Course aka Real Estate Salesperson (RES) course:
Generally in the $700-800 region at the various RES course providers (I'll list the better ones later in this article)
- For NTUC members below 40, you can enjoy up to $250 UTAP subsidy for your RES Exams.
- NTUC members above 40, you can enjoy higher funding support of up to $500 each for your RES course and exams.
- Singaporeans & Permanent Residents 25 years old and above can utilise their SkillsFuture credit of up to $500.
ENQUIRY ON UTAP MATTERS Website: http://skillsupgrade.ntuc.org.sg Email: UTAP@e2i.com.sg NTUC Membership Hotline: 6213-8008 Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
2. RES Exams:
$417.30 (inclusive GST) for 2 papers.
$235.40 (inclusive GST) per paper for re-takers.
After passing the exams, you would normally need to pay to register with a licensed estate agency. At times, there are joining promotions for new agents but do not be lured by that alone, as freebies cannot beat having a good RES mentor.
Usual Costs to expect:
Real Estate Salesperson Registration fee: $53.50 + $230 annual CEA fees = $283.50
Professional Indemnity Insurance: $120 - $150
Agency levied admin fees for name cards/ID Tag/Start Up Course/Admin fees: $300-500 range.
What is the Real Estate Agent Course about?
Since 2010, real estate agents are required to undergo the RES Course provided by CEA-approved training providers as an initial step.
This program equips participants with knowledge about property agency operations, compliance with regulations, and Singapore's legal framework concerning transactions involving HDB flats, private apartments, condominiums, commercial spaces, and industrial properties.
The comprehensive content of RES courses encompasses such a wide range of topics that frankly, even experienced real estate agents with over a decade of experience find it challenging to memorize.
Requirements:
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Singaporean or Permanent Resident
- Minimum of 4 GCE ‘O’ level passes or equivalent (WPLN)
- Fulfils CEA fit and proper criteria
Topics:
Once you have completed the RES course and achieved at least 75% attendance, you may register for the RES examinations at CEA's appointed examination administrator, NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd.
To qualify for your licence, you must pass the two RES exam papers.
Exams are typically held 3 times per year in Feb/March, June and October.
Registration closes 1-2 months prior to exams and are usually oversubscribed. Hence, you are encouraged to sign up as early as possible.
NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd (LHub)
Sign up at: https://res.ntuclearninghub.com/
Hotline: (Mon - Fri, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm): 6336 5482
E-mail: rea@ntuclearninghub.com
Address: NTUC Trade Union House 73 Bras Basah Road #02-01
Singapore 189556
Examination Eligibility Criteria:
Exam candidates will need to comply the following:
- Complete the RES course with a minimum 75% attendance record before you are eligible to receive the "Certificate of Completion for RES Course".
Examination Fees:
$417.30 (inclusive of GST) for 2 papers.
$235.40 (inclusive of GST) per paper for retakers.
Examination Format:
2 papers each (2 ½ hours per paper)
Both Papers 1 & 2: - Section A: 50 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) - 1 mark each - Section B: 15 MCQ with reference to 1 or 2 Case Studies – 2 marks each - Section C: 10 Fill in the Blank Short Answer Questions (SAQs) - 2 marks each
Examination Results:
- Exam Administrator will notify you of your results.
- RES course participants will have to pass the RES examination within 2 years from the date of issue of the Certificate of Completion of RES Course.
- If you are unable to pass any remaining Papers within the 2-year time frame, you will have to retake the RES course and sit for the full RES examination again i.e. both Papers 1 and 2.
When are the RES Examination results released?
- The RES Examination results will be released 4 – 6 weeks after the examinations.
Appeal of RES Examination Results
If you think that you should have passed the exams, you may submit an appeal to review your exam paper via NTUC LearningHub, CEA's appointed examination administrator, within 5 working days from the date of the notification of examination results.
A non-refundable fee of $64.20 (inclusive of GST) is charged for the review of each examination paper.
Important Note for Aspiring Property Agents and Foreigners:
Attending the RES Course and passing the RES Examination does not automatically qualify you to be a real estate agent.
The applicant has to comply with the full registration requirements stipulated under the Estate Agents Act, which include meeting the fit & proper criteria.
Please check the complete list of registration criteria on CEA’s website before registering for the RES Course.
For foreigners who wish to register with CEA as salespersons, they will need to have a valid Employment Pass (EP) issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
They should consult an estate agency that is prepared to support their future registration application, who would then check with CEA.
Thereafter, when they register for the RES Course, they will need to produce a letter of sponsorship from the real estate agency.
List of Recommended CEA Approved Course Vendors for the Real Estate Agent Course 2024
There are many training centres and in case you are wondering which one to go for, this list will be helpful as I have heard good reviews from the new property agents who have joined us.
If you stay near to central areas, Hastor Property Services and Real Centre Network are the best choices!
If you stay in the west, head to Pioneer Training & Consultancy.
If you are an East sider, head to Real Centre Network or Singapore Estate Agents Association.
Each real estate school has different RES course schedules to suit busy working adults or parents alike with courses such as weekends only, Saturdays only, specific weekday nights and express classes. Check them out here for a review and comparison.
Details here:
Hastor Property Services (Highly recommended RES trainers Daryl Ou and Celeste Ng)
Website: www.hastor.com.sg
Tel: 62522802
Email: Training@hastor.sg
Venue: 190 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #02-514, Toa Payoh Central,
Singapore 310190
(Located above KFC, please use the stairs beside KFC and go up to Level 2)
BenchMark RealPro Pte Ltd
Website: www.benchmarkrealpro.com
Tel: 67355860 / 67355861
Venue: 151 Chin Swee Road #03-31 Manhattan House Singapore 169876.
Institute of Estate Agents
Website: www.iea.sg
Tel No: 6323 1770
Email: courses@iea.sg
Venue: 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #07-01 HDB Hub East Wing Singapore 310480
Pioneer Training & Consultancy Pte Ltd
Website: www.pioneertraining.org
Tel No: 6462 6093 / 9424 3483
Email: pioneertc@gmail.com
Venue: Blk 134 Jurong Gateway Road #03-309P Singapore 600134
Real Centre Network Pte Ltd
Website: www.realcentrenetwork.com
Tel No: 6511 3009
Email: info@realcentrenetwork.com
Venue: 490 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #09-16 HDB Hub Biz 3 Singapore 310490
*Update: RCN now has branches in Tampines and Jurong too.
Singapore Estate Agents Association
Website: www.seaa.org.sg
Tel No: 6702 1602 Email: edu@seaa.org.sg
Venue: 60 Paya Lebar Road #13-23 Paya Lebar Square Singapore 409051 (Office Lift Lobby 1)
How do I officially become a real estate agent after passing the RES exams?
Congratulations if you managed to pass your exams! It was no mean feat!
By now you might have done your research on which property agency to join or have attended some recruitment talks.
Otherwise, the top 4 real estate agencies at the moment are Huttons, OrangeTee & Tie, ERA and Propnex.
If you are still searching for an agency, read this article to find out which real estate agency suits you best to know what to look out for and how to find the best fit for yourself.
Finally, this is what you need to do:
Submitting a Salesperson Registration
Get an application form from your real estate agency and submit your salesperson application to CEA for the ‘In-Principle Approval‘ (IPA).
CEA Registration Approval
Within 4-6 weeks, you should receive a notification of CEA's approval.
Congratulations! Once, CEA has confirmed your registration with your property agency, you are ready to kick off your real estate career!
Need a free 30 min new agent career consultation? Schedule one right now.
If you would like to attend our upcoming Recruitment Seminar or are looking for great real estate career mentorship to shorten your learning curve, drop me a message!
Hear from you soon!
**Enjoy 100% RES joining fee subsidies for brand new agents. Limited slots available.
Stuart Chng, Executive Group District Director at Huttons, is a renowned leader and personality in the real estate industry.
He adores music and can play a few instruments decently without upsetting his neighbours. When not doing so, he enjoys pillow fighting with his son and coming up with silly puns which barely amuses his wife.
Professionally, he is a licensed real estate agent, an avid stocks, options and real estate investor, business owner, team leader, speaker and columnist for several property newsletters and blogs and is often quoted in media interviews on 938FM, Channel 8, PropertyReport, PropertyGuru and other publications.
Throughout his career, he has helped many clients grow their wealth through selecting great property investments and managing their portfolios actively. Read his clients' reviews here.
Stuart has also coached many top million dollar producing agents from top real estate agencies in Singapore. Read his agents' reviews here.
Relevant Reading:
- Find out which real estate agency to join after passing your exams!
- Passed your RES Exams? Find out what steps to take next to quickly reach your goals!
Like to attain results sooner after passing your RES exams?
Held 3 times a year, our programme consists of over 42 hours of essential training by our top team leaders, sales achievers and project ICs to help you be field-deployable within 7 days.
Suitable for all brand new RES or part-timers who are looking to commit full time and give your 100% in the shortest time possible!
Find out about our boot camp graduates' reviews below.