Knowing how to choose a property agent in Singapore can decide how fast your home sells, or how smoothly your purchase closes.
With more than 36,000 registered agents, it’s hard to tell who’s actually active. This guide gives you 11 checks you can run yourself.
So here’s our guide on how to choose the best property agent in Singapore!
Firstly, do I even need a property agent?
Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of what you need to look out for when choosing the best property agent in Singapore, do you even need a property agent?
Our answer: it depends.
If you know your way around the real estate industry, processes, jargon, paperwork, and such, then you might prefer to tackle buying or selling property on your own(opens in new tab).
While this means you get full control, it does also mean that you’d have to do all the heavy lifting throughout the entire process.
However, if you’re new to this or would simply like to save time and hassle from all the dirty work, like researching, negotiations, paperwork, and more, then you might like to engage a property agent, so here’s how to choose the best one for yourself.
Step 1: Check they’re registered with CEA (and their enforcement record)
First and foremost, when choosing the best property agent in Singapore, make sure they are legitimate.
Go to the Council for Estate Agencies’ (CEA) website(opens in new tab) and check if your agent has been registered.
This is important because CEA is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development that governs the real estate industry in Singapore.
To be able to legally practise as a property agent in Singapore, every agent must first be registered with CEA.
If your agent is not found on CEA, run!
Also, CEA announced on 10 June 2026 that you are able to check for Past Enforcement Actions(opens in new tab) that might have been set out against an agent – so check that too before you commit!
So, if you already have an agent in mind, check that they are registered with CEA.
Step 2: Look at recent transactions, not just “years of experience”
Okay, you’ve checked and your agent is registered with CEA. What next?
Look at their recent transactions and not just their years of experience.
Just because someone has been a property agent for many years does not mean they’re actually good at selling.
CEA found that from 2021 to 2023, an average of 4 out of 10 property agents(opens in new tab) did not make a single residential transaction each year.
Industry regulators themselves are concerned about these agents being “less familiar” with the ever-changing rules, regulations, transaction processes, and more.
This is why you’d want to check that your agent actually has experience transacting properties and is not just someone holding a license without any transactions.
In short: more years of experience does not mean they’re a good property agent.
How do I check this?
Simply input your agent’s CEA registration number into the CEA Public Register(opens in new tab), and it will list all data pertaining to how many residential transactions your agent has made.
And to make your life easier, you might consider looking up our Propseller agents who, on average, have 26x more transactions than other agents.
Step 3: Check whether they specialise in your type of property
Specialisation is important because it means the agent has the specific knowledge needed for a successful transaction.
Every type of property has its own processes and criteria, whether you are buying or selling.
Besides this, market trends, factors affecting price, and selling strategies would also differ between property types.
Basically, everything varies in the entire process from buying a landed property(opens in new tab) to selling an HDB(opens in new tab). So, it’s wise to have an agent who’s a jack of all trades and a master of at least one.
If you are looking to sell or purchase an HDB flat, you’d want a property agent who knows the ins and outs of all things HDB. This means someone who’s familiar with Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) timelines, grant eligibility, ethnic quotas, and the like.
Similarly, if you are looking to sell or purchase a condo, look into property agents in Singapore who know more about condo pricing, unit layouts, management rules, etc.
Step 4: Check their experience in your location
Besides having a speciality in a specific type of property, it’s also important that your agent has experience in your location.
Knowledge about the location is equally important because it affects the success of buying or selling property.
For instance, if you want to sell your property in the East, you’d want an agent who has more experience selling properties in the East.
This is because deep neighbourhood insights such as proximity to amenities, transport, or schools, can greatly influence how your agent prices and markets your property.
Keep in mind, that overpricing and underpricing can both affect the sale of your property. As such, having an agent who knows your district like the back of their hand can avoid these issues and more importantly, sell your property at the best price, fast.
Propseller agents are location-specialised across different regions such as the East, West, North-East, North, and Central – so if you want someone with experience in your region, our agents can help.
If you’re interested, browse through our Real Estate Consultant directory(opens in new tab) to see which agent might suit you best.
Step 5: Ask how they arrive at a property’s valuation
One of the most important things about buying or selling property is, of course, the price.
However, valuation is most critical especially when it comes to selling your property.
Valuation must be done fairly and accurately because overpricing could result in your property taking ages to get sold (or worse, never getting sold).
Similarly, underpricing can yield issues such as losing potential proceeds if the true market value is higher.
For example, assuming that you’re looking to sell your property. Your agent should be able to explain their rationale behind recommending a selling price.
Did they consider all the push and pull factors of your property? Does it match the current market trends?
For instance, at Propseller, our valuation team uses thousands of data points, advanced machine learning, and AI to generate an accurate valuation for you.
For an added measure, do also try out our completely free property valuation tool(opens in new tab).
Step 6: Ask how they’d market your property and bring in buyers
If you’re selling your property and the agent’s plan is to just list your property on PropertyGuru and call it a day, brace yourself for a long journey to selling your home.
At the very least, your agent should invest in professional photography that would capture the attention of buyers. First impressions are important in property too, so your agent shouldn’t just be relying on their phone cameras.
Propseller, for instance, does professional photography, virtual staging, 3D virtual tours, home tour videos, and markets your property by putting serious advertising spend across 5 property platforms (PropertyGuru, 99.co, SRX, EdgeProp, and Carousell) and 3 social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok).
All of these combined give us a track record of selling a property in 22 days on average.
Step 7: Ask if they’re just operating as an agent or have a team to support them
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, a strong support system for a property agent can make or break a sale.
To sell your property, imagine a single property agent having to:
- Arrange and conduct viewings for potential buyers,
- Manage videography and photography,
- Handle marketing on various platforms,
- Complete administrative work, and
- Many more!
How good can they be at each of these roles? How much time can they focus on selling your property? What level of service can they offer to you, all while trying to find new clients for themselves?
Probably not the best.
At Propseller, our real estate consultants are supported by:
- Marketing specialists
- Pricing experts
- Professional photographers
- Customer service teams
So that our consultants can do what they do best – helping you to sell or buy your new property.
Step 8: Ask how they’ll keep you updated throughout the sale
It goes without saying that buying or selling property is a huge transaction, and you should definitely be kept in the loop at all times.
This doesn’t mean they need to be contacting you hourly with updates, but weekly updates on viewings or enquiries are a good start.
Not to mention, they should definitely be reaching out to you immediately as soon as there is an offer, counteroffer, or any interest expressed in your property.
So, ask your property agent how they intend to keep you updated and how often.
Set out your own expectations, preferred mode of contact, and see to it that they are responsibly updating you.
If your property agent tells you that they’ll only “call when there’s news”, you might want to find a new one, because it suggests that they are unbothered – an unwanted trait in a property agent.
Step 9: Check how detailed their reviews are, not just the star ratings
You should always check your property agent’s online reviews to determine if they really are the best..
Seeing how many reviews your agent has, how many of them are glowing reports (and how many aren’t), are all indicative of what you can expect.
If you’re checking the internet, read through as many as possible, especially the detailed ones.
A few things to consider:
- How recent the reviews are
- Are the latest ones more current, or are all the reviews just from three years ago?
- Is there a range in the dates or are they all from a single date? The latter could suggest fake ones
- The positives/negatives
- What is being said about their communication skills?
- How responsive are they?
- Do they seem knowledgeable about the market and property type they specify?
- How competent were they at negotiating?
- If the agent responds to bad reviews (and how)
- Are they defensive, accusatory, or arguing?
- Do they just ignore them altogether?
- Or, do they acknowledge, apologise (if needed), and react professionally?
These reviews are telltale signs for you on what you could expect, so use them to make an informed decision when choosing a property agent for yourself.
Just to narrow down your options, Propseller proudly has over 1,000 detailed reviews(opens in new tab), giving us an average rating of 4.8/5 stars. We believe they speak for themselves.
Step 10: Compare commissions based on value, not just percentage
Every property agent in Singapore will set their own commission rate.
However, don’t make the mistake of just comparing rates.
Compare the commissions based on the value you receive, because when the math comes in, the numbers can look very different.
Here’s a worked example of what you can expect from two different agents, with different commission rates, and different sale prices:
| Agent | Listing Price | Sale Price | Commission | What you are left with before other costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | S$800,000 | S$800,000 | 1% = S$8,000 | S$792,000 |
| B | S$800,000 | S$820,000 | 2% = S$16,400 | S$803,600 |
Notice how you can still be left with more money with Agent B whose rate is 2%, just because they are incentivised to get you a higher selling price?
Just because you’re paying more doesn’t mean that you’re getting less money in your pocket.
That’s the beauty of performance-based pricing.
At Propseller, we have a track record of selling at or above market value (and an average of 2% above market value for HDBs), all due to our agents being focused on getting you the best selling price for your property.
With commissions starting from 1%, you get so much more value with us than a traditional agent.
Some red flags to avoid
Unless you’re a bull, here are some red flags to avoid when choosing the best property agent in Singapore:
| Red Flags | Why it’s bad |
|---|---|
| They promise exorbitantly high selling prices without sharing why |
|
| They won’t show you their CEA record |
|
| They have little recent experience with your property type | Keyword: recent.
The industry, trends, and rates are constantly changing. The less recent the experience, the less relevant their knowledge, the less chances of success for you with buying/selling property. |
| Their marketing plan is solely them putting up a listing on PropertyGuru | Less exposure for your property → less people know about you selling your property → the longer it takes to sell your property |
| They pressure you to sign immediately | Shows they don’t have your best interests at heart, because this often means that there may be some unfavourable terms or issues that you are not made aware of |
So, who is the best property agent in Singapore for you?
All said and done, choosing the best property agent in Singapore is entirely up to each individual and their own needs.
There are many agencies and each have their own plus points:
| Agency | Best For |
|---|---|
| Propseller | Sellers who want a full-time, top-performing agent, guaranteed professional marketing on every listing, and an in-house team of pricing, marketing and service specialists |
| PropNex | If you want to engage an agency with the largest number of agents in Singapore |
| ERA Singapore | If you want island-wide reach plus access to a regional network across Asia-Pacific |
| Huttons Asia | If you’re buying a new launch and want the widest choice of local and overseas projects |
| OrangeTee & Tie | If you want data-led advice from an agency with a dedicated in-house research team |
The right agent can mean a faster sale, a better price, and peace of mind. The wrong one can mean months of silence, a price that leaves money on the table, or an agreement you wish you’d never signed.
And if you’d like someone to walk you through it, we’re here. A free consultation with Propseller gives you an honest valuation of your home, a clear marketing plan, and straight answers to every question in this guide, with no pressure to sign.
We are not Singapore’s leading property agency with 1,000+ 5-star reviews for no reason, so book a free consultation with one of our agents today.
