What is different about real estate in Singapore
Estate agents must hold a CEA (Council for Estate Agencies) registration, and every listing and transaction record should carry the agent's CEA number since buyers and the regulator both expect it to be traceable. HDB resale flats follow entirely different eligibility and cooling-period rules than private condominiums or landed property under URA planning guidelines, so a pipeline that treats HDB and private-market deals as the same stage sequence will misjudge how long each one actually takes to close.
PropertyGuru and 99.co listings generate most first contact, with buyers then moving to phone calls or direct messaging rather than WhatsApp by default. Commission invoices carry a GST number at 9%, and cold-calling prospect owners must clear the Do Not Call registry under PDPA first. Chinese New Year viewings drop off sharply for about two weeks, and HDB's Minimum Occupation Period and resale levy rules mean some leads are simply not eligible to transact yet, worth flagging early rather than at offer stage.
Set up your CRM for Singapore real estate teams
- Record the agent's CEA registration number against every listing and transaction.
- Add an HDB-vs-private property branch, since eligibility and timelines differ substantially.
- Screen owner cold-call lists against the PDPA Do Not Call registry before dialling.
