Hello!
Are you considering a career in the property sales industry?
You might still be in school but exposed to the world of real estate through your parents, relatives or friends.
Or you might even have worked for years in a different field and are considering a career switch for financial or freedom reasons among the many awesome reasons to be in real estate.
Well, either way, welcome!
Becoming a licensed real estate agent today is much tougher than before and it requires much grit and determination to attend dense training sessions and study for the RES exams.
But once you do, an EXCITING WORLD of opportunities awaits!
I'm a live example of this having started out in my property career at the age of 23, investing in private properties by my mid 20s, starting several real estate related businesses and creating multiple streams of passive income by my early 30s.
You can find out more about my journey here in real estate and team building.
A career in real estate is like no other businesses that I know of. The product is possibly one of the most expensive anyone can buy in their lifetime and can determine their fortune and retirement outcome.
This business requires deep knowledge of financial, investment, marketing, negotiations, business and many more skill sets that usually are separate roles in a typical company.
The people you will get to meet come from all walks of life and can open up your eyes to many possibilities that you wouldn't have imagined.
And even more awesomely, it requires comparatively little resources and risks to get started unlike many other businesses.
So, while I can go on and on about all these, let's leave it for another day and get right into what you need to get started!
After you're a registered property agent and have found a real estate agency to join,
you will be listed on CEA.gov.sg under the Public Register.
2024 Real Estate Salesperson Course (RES)
How much does it cost to get licensed as a realtor in Singapore?
Before you attain your licence and ID tag as a real estate agent, these are the costs you will need to prepare for:
1. Real Estate Salesperson (RES) course:
Generally in the $650-800 region at the various RES course providers (I'll list the better ones later in this article)
- If you’re an NTUC member below 40, you can enjoy up to $250 UTAP subsidy for your RES Exams.
- NTUC members who are 40 and above can enjoy higher funding support of up to $500 each for their course and exams.
- Singaporeans & Permanent Residents 25 years old and above can utilize 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:
-$425.10 (inclusive GST) for both papers.
- $239.80 (inclusive GST) per paper for re-takers.
After passing the exams, you would normally attend a real estate recruitment talk and register with a licensed real estate firm.
Typical Joining Fees are:
- Real Estate Salesperson Registration fee: $54.50 + $230 annual CEA fees = $284.50
- Professional Indemnity Insurance: $120
- Agency levied admin fees for name cards/ID Tag/Start Up Course/Admin fees: $300-500 range.
What does the RES Course cover?
The RES course helps you learn about and understand the rules and regulations governing property agency work and practices and Singapore's laws and guidelines in the transacting of HDB flats, private apartments and condominiums, commercial business spaces and industrial properties.
To be frank, RES courses cover so many areas that even practicing property agents of many decades are unable to fully remember all the material.
Do not expect to pass on your first try and if you do decide to begin, remember that you are going to have to be a very determined soul and revise very hard to pass the exams.
Anecdotal evidence suggests a 30% pass rate out of every batch of exam takers.
Fortunately, we do have free RES exam revision sessions if you need help passing it. = )
Head to this page if you wish to join in our RES revision classes.
RES Course Attendee 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 List:
Real Estate Salesperson (RES) Exam Dates 2024
After completing the RES Course, you may register for the RES exam at CEA's appointed examination administrator, NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd, and must pass the 2 RES exam papers.
Exams are usually held 3 times a year during February/March, June and October.
You would be wise to register at least 2 months in advance as registration closes 1-2 months prior.
There is usually an oversubscription for each exam as the interest is consistently high and you can expect a rush to sign up when registration opens in the morning. (Think refreshing webpage repeatedly kind of rush).
NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd (LHub)
Website: 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 Venue:
Singapore Institute of Management Headquarters (SIM HQ)
461 Clementi Road. Singapore 599491
Exam Eligibility Criteria:
Exam candidates will need to comply the following:
- Complete the RES course with a minimum 75% attendance record before they are eligible to receive the
"Certificate of Completion for RES Course".
Exam Format:
With effect from 2023, the format of both Paper 1 and Paper 2 are as follows:
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes for each paper
Format: Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 are of the same format
- Section A: 60 MCQs (60 marks)
-
Section B: 20 MCQs with reference to 1 or 2 Case Studies (40 marks)
Exam Results:
- Passing mark for each paper is 60% and subject to review by CEA.
- You will be notified by the exams administrator of your results.
- CEA stipulates a 2 years timeframe to passing both papers, starting from the date of issue of the Certificate of Completion of RES Course.
- If you fail to pass either paper, you will only have to retake that specific paper during the next exam.
- If you fail to pass both papers within the 2 years timeframe, you will have to retake the course and sit for both papers again. Ouch!
When are the RES Examination results released?
- The RES Examination results will be released 4 – 6 weeks after the examinations.
Appeal of RES Exam Results
If you believe that you should have passed the exams, you may submit an appeal to review your exam paper via NTUC Learning Hub,
CEA's appointed examination administrator, within 5 working days from the date of the notification of examination results.
A non-refundable fee of $65.40 (inclusive of GST) is charged for the review of each examination paper.
Examination Deferment Request
All deferments, whether COVID related or due to legitimate unforeseen reasons such as NS call up, bereavement etc. are subject to approval of NTUC Learning Hub and an admin fee of $109 will be levied on each deferment. No refunds will be made.
Applications must be made within 5 working days of the exam date via https://res.ntuclearninghub.com.
Examination Exemptions
Students who have completed the Bachelor of Science (Real Estate) course by National University of Singapore (NUS) or the Diploma in Real Estate Business course by Ngee Ann Polytechnic on or after 1 April 2020 will be exempted from Paper 1 of the RES examination.
They are still required to attend and complete the partial RES course for Paper 2 to be eligible to sit for RES examination Paper 2.
Course completers will be issued with the Certificate of Completion for Real Estate Salesperson Course (Paper 2) that allows them to register for the exams.
Important Note for Aspiring Property Agents and Foreigners:
Completing the RES Course and passing the RES Exam does not guarantee that you will be able to register as a real estate agent.
In order to be fully registered, you must also meet the fit and proper criteria and other requirements outlined in the Estate Agents Act.
Do check the complete list of registration criteria on CEA’s website before registering for the RES Course so that you do not get a nasty surprise after passing the exams.
Foreigners who wish to register with CEA as salespersons must have a valid Employment Pass issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
They should consult with an estate agency that is willing to support their future registration application, which will then be reviewed by CEA.
When registering for the RES Course, these individuals must provide a letter of sponsorship from the real estate agency.
List of Recommended RES Course Providers 2024
There are many training centres and in case you are wondering which RES course provider 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 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 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 (Great trainers Daryl and Celest helm the fort!)
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)
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)
BenchMark RealPro Pte Ltd
Website: https://www.benchmarkrealpro.com
Tel: 67355860 / 67355861
Email: benchmarkrealpro@gmail.com
Venue: 151 Chin Swee Road #03-31 Manhattan House Singapore 169876.
RES Course Comparison
Wondering which course provider or types of RES courses are most suitable for you?
Which is the lowest cost of all?
Read this article to find out all about the costs, duration and intensity of each type of RES course provided by the 5 major RES course vendors!
They all fulfil the same criteria that CEA requires but have different course duration and schedules to suit different individuals.
RES Exam Revision Classes
Taking your RES course and need additional help with understanding topics relating to Paper 1 or 2?
Join in our FREE RES Exam Revision Classes to enjoy in-depth study sessions with fellow RES course takers and practicing mentors who have passed their RES and can coach you on how to handle the exam formats and questions fluently.
Get access to thousands of mock exam questions and WhatsApp Group Support so you can pass your exams with flying colours!
Which Agency Should You Join?
Congratulations if you managed to pass your exams! It was no mean feat!
By now you should have done your research on which real estate agency to join.
If you have not, read this article to find out which real estate agency should I join after passing my exams.
Or check out the training programmes & technology NAVIS has for our new real estate sales people.
Finally, this is what you need to do:
Submitting a Salesperson Registration
To begin the process of becoming a real estate salesperson, you should obtain an application form from your real estate agency and submit it to CEA for "In-Principle Approval" (IPA).
Approval of CEA Registration
Within 4-6 weeks, you should receive a notification of CEA's approval.
Congratulations! CEA has confirmed your registration with your agency.
You are ready to start on an exciting and rewarding real estate career!
Looking for great career mentorship to shorten your learning curve?
Get a 1-time free 30 min career consultation with Stuart and his team leaders.
Enjoy our 100% RES joining fee subsidies for brand new/experienced agents.
Limited slots available.
Cheers,
Stuart Chng
Co-Founder of Navis
Executive Group District Director at Huttons
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 trader 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 different real estate agencies in Singapore. Read his agents' reviews here.
P.S. Passed your RES Exams? Find out what steps to take next to quickly reach your goals!
P.P.S. Find out which real estate agency to join after passing your exams!
Find out more about NAVIS
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