The educational qualifications of the average real estate and insurance agent has increased in the past 10 years, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin noted in written responses to questions in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 7). As of 2013, about two in three property agents had attained at least a diploma - up from two in five in 2003. In the insurance sector, about four in five agents had attained a diploma or...
Property Agents
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) earlier this week issued new guidelines for property agents and salespersons marketing foreign properties. Industry players generally welcome the move, but some said the guidelines could pose challenges. In the last couple of years, more Singaporeans have been buying properties overseas, in countries such as Malaysia and the United Kingdom. To help consumers...
Real estate agents are increasingly turning from the once-lucrative resale market to rentals, as they hunt for a living to preserve their careers and clients during what is expected to be another challenging year for the industry. The shift comes as the rental market holds its own in the housing sector, which has been hit by slowing demand following several rounds of cooling measures and lending curbs,...
With property transactions dampened by various cooling measures last year, some real estate agencies have said they are encouraging their agents to diversify their income stream. That means looking beyond local transactions and venturing into the overseas and rental markets as well. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) announced on Thursday that there was a 27 per cent fall in the number of new...
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has said it has licensed 1,425 estate agents and registered 31,783 salespersons as at January 1. About 3,300 of the registered salespersons are new entrants to the industry last year, compared to about 4,500 in 2012. This represents a drop of about 27 per cent. Last year, CEA issued licences to 1,492 estate agents and registered 31,040...
Two former real estate salespersons have been convicted and sentenced for offences including referring their clients to moneylenders. They are 52-year-old Mustafa Kamal Seri and 39-year-old Ghazali Bin Mohamed Rasul, both Singaporeans. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) said in a statement on Friday that Ghazali is also the first salesperson it has prosecuted for money-lending offences. Mustafa...
Real estate agents are expecting to incur higher marketing cost in 2014 when the new Do Not Call rules kick in on January 2. From December, consumers who do not wish to receive telemarketing messages can register their Singapore telephone numbers with the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. Property agency PropNex says it could even prompt some agents to leave the industry. To market a property...
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has announced a new training roadmap to boost the capabilities and professionalism of real estate agency leaders and salespersons. Separately, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has also introduced a new electronic resale checklist, which could mean less hassle for those hoping to buy or sell their flats. CEA’s new Continuing Professional Development (CPD)...
A former property agent has been sentenced to 24 weeks' jail for forgery, cheating and counterfeiting stamp certificates. Andrew Sng Chin Lee, 43, who was an estate agent with HSR International Realtors, pleaded guilty to four charges under the Stamp Duties Act. The father-of-three was also guilty of another three charges of cheating and forgery. Four similar charges were taken into consideration. He...
Channel NewsAsia understands authorities are conducting spot checks on at least seven property developers to find out if they have backdated their documents. It has been about a week since the latest round of property cooling measures kicked in. Among the changes is an increase in Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty of five to seven percentage points across the board. In a bid to help buyers avoid paying the...