A good property agent more than deserves his/her commission, but many buyers and sellers are often unsure about how much to pay. And it’s the same with landlords and tenants.
There are many factors that determine property agent commission in Singapore; even seasoned sellers, buyers and renters do get confused about industry standards.
So here’s our guide to help you be absolutely sure about the commission you should pay for any type of property transaction, be it selling, buying or renting as a landlord or tenant.
To understand property agent commission in Singapore, we first need to know there are two types of agents.
Landlord’s/seller’s agent
This is any property agent appointed by the landlord or seller to market a unit. This agent:
- Strategises the promotion and presentation of the unit
- Sources for buyers/tenants through various means (e.g. putting up a listing on Singapore’s largest property portal, 99.co)
- Schedules and manages the viewing process with prospective buyers
- Advises and represents the landlord/seller in the negotiation and bidding process, once there are one or more interested parties
- Ensures that proper and necessary procedures (e.g. legal and regulatory requirements) are executed and adhered to throughout the process
A CEA*-registered property agent representing the landlord or seller is obliged to have his/her client’s best interests at heart.
*CEA stands for the Council for Estate Agencies — the regulatory body of property agents in Singapore.
Buyer’s/tenant’s agent
This is any property agent who assists a potential tenant or buyer in the following:
- Search and selection of properties
- Coordination of viewings
- Negotiation with the seller’s/landlord’s agent in the buyer’s/tenant’s best interests
The buyer/tenant’s agent also provides valuable input in the form of professional advice (e.g. location) and guides them through the proper process of buying or renting a property, including the necessary paperwork.
Similarly, a CEA-registered property agent representing the buyer or tenant is obliged to have his/her client’s best interests at heart.
Agents are not legally allowed to be both the landlord’s/seller’s agent and the tenant’s/buyer’s agent in a single deal, as this will present a conflict of interest.
For rental cases, the landlord’s agent (and sometimes the tenant’s agent) often assists the landlord and tenant throughout the period of the lease for any maintenance issues and disputes, although he/she is not obliged to do so.
What is a co-broke (also known as co-broking)?
This describes a situation where two agents agree to broker a deal together — one as a landlord’s agent and the other as the tenant’s agent.
RENTING: Common practices for property agent commission in Singapore
Although there are no universal, industry-standard rental commission rates imposed here, there are industry best practices — based on several experienced property agents that we spoke to.
However, take note that the commission rates may vary depending on situational factors such as the urgency and complexity of the deals. Prospective landlords/tenants should inquire with the relevant agents to understand the rationale behind the requested commission rates if they differ from the below.
REMINDER: NO FIXED RULES
It’s important to remember that these are just common practices. There is no hard and fast rule on whether the landlord or tenant should be paying their agents and how much. It all depends on the situation and how much the tenant/landlord needs the services of the agents. Some notable exception cases include:
- Unique or in-demand properties (e.g. a unique well-priced shophouse). The landlord’s agent can potentially demand that he does not “share commission” because there is plenty of demand.
- Lower-end rental properties (e.g. room rentals below S$1k). The landlord’s agent may not be able to get the landlord to pay him commission even though he may be marketing the property on the landlord’s behalf. In lower-end rentals, the tenant may not have as much of a choice and thus negotiation power, so the agent has no choice but to collect commissions from tenants. Technically, they would be switching roles to become the tenant’s agent and should be acting in the tenant’s best interest.
- With the heating up of the current rental market, we have also seen tenants stepping up to cover the commission of their agents in order to increase their chances of securing a unit.
1. Above S$3,500 in rent & a two-year lease — landlord pays one month’s rental
If there’s only a landlord’s agent (i.e. the tenant contacted the landlord’s agent on his/her own), the landlord pays the landlord’s agent one-month commission, which he/she keeps.
If the renter has a tenant’s agent who assisted the tenant and represents his interest, as of 2023, our understanding of the market is that the tenant will have to pay their own commission to their agent. Also, see ‘No Fixed Rules’ above.
2. Above S$3,500 in rent & a one-year lease – landlord pays half a month’s rental
If there’s only a landlord’s agent (i.e. the tenant contacted the landlord’s agent on his/her own), the landlord pays the landlord’s agent half a month’s commission, which he/she keeps.
If the renter has a tenant’s agent who assisted the tenant and represents his interest, the tenant pays the tenant’s agent half a month’s commission, while the landlord pays the landlord’s agent half a month’s commission.
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3. At or below S$3,500 in rent & a two-year lease
Landlord’s agent collects a one-month commission from the landlord.
Tenant’s agent collects a one-month commission from tenant. If there’s no tenant’s agent, the tenant doesn’t pay any commission.
4. At or below S$3,500 in rent & a one-year lease
Landlord’s agent collects half a month’s commission from the landlord.
If the tenant has a tenant’s agent, the tenant’s agent collects half a month’s rental from the tenant. If there’s no tenant’s agent, the tenant doesn’t need to pay.
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SELLING/BUYING: Common practices for property agent commission in Singapore
1. Non-landed private properties (e.g. condos)
Seller usually pays 2% (sometimes up to 4%).
Buyer pays nothing regardless of whether they’re using a buyer’s agent or not. Seller’s agent splits the commission with the buyer’s agent.
2. HDB resale agent commission
Seller usually pays 2% commission.
Buyer usually pays 1% commission.
3. Landed properties
Seller usually pays 2% (sometimes much higher; there’s more room to negotiate as situations tend to be more unique).
Buyer pays nothing regardless of whether they’re using a buyer’s agent or not. Seller’s agent splits the commission with the buyer’s agent.
Properties for sale
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NO FIXED RULES
Similar to rental commission, again there are no fixed rules on commission and everything is negotiable depending on the situation. The commission structure on buying properties is usually even more negotiable as situations tend to be even more unique. Notable exceptions include:
- Commissions paid by sellers can go a lot higher as well if the seller is in more urgent state of affairs, or if the property is harder to sell.
- Commissions demanded by the buyer’s agent may sometimes be much higher as well, especially if the buyer’s agent is representing an overseas buyer and doing a lot more work to help the buyer make a decision (e.g. doubling up as investment advisors). Some agents representing buyers from Hong Kong or China may demand up to 5% commission, from what we have heard. In these instances, it would be up to the seller to decide if he is willing to offer that to close the deal.
- In many cases, and especially in the luxury property segment (e.g. above S$5m), there can be tiered commission schemes that incentivise the seller’s agent to get a higher price. An example would be to have 2% commission on a minimum S$5m sale price, but if the closing price is above S$5m, the commission would be 5% of the selling price.
As a seller/buyer of a property, how do I save on agent commission?
If you want to try saving on property agent commission in Singapore by selling or buying a property without an agent, you might want to reconsider it. Property, being one of the most expensive decisions you make in your lifetime, demands a thorough knowledge of specialised law and regulations.
On top of that, property agents have knowledge and experience in negotiation, and can successfully go toe to toe with an opposing agent.
On the other hand, if you’re not familiar with the market and the various regulations, representing yourself can result in a messy and slow transaction at best, and costly legal entanglements and monetary loss at worst.
In any case, do compare commission fees and services offered by different property agents before deciding to appoint one or more.
A seller’s agent may also seek Exclusive Rights, a legal agreement to become your sole property agent in marketing and selling your property.
Read this: When should you appoint an exclusive property agent?
What if I’m a landlord or tenant? Are agents a must?
If you’re a landlord, having a landlord’s agent can save you from a whole lot of headaches. A landlord’s agent has experience in not just finding but screening out potentially bad tenants, and may be able to help you deal with tenant issues along the way (depending on agreed upon responsibilities with the agent).
If you’re a tenant and can afford the time to search and arrange viewings for a rental property yourself, you could choose to forgo a tenant’s agent.
In this case, our advice is to always find a landlord who’s represented by a landlord’s agent as there has been countless cases of devious landlords taking flight with a tenant’s deposit, or sudden and unfair evictions.
Even if the lease is only for a year, having a property agent on either or both sides can provide peace of mind.
Did you pay a different rate from these common practices? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you found this article helpful, check out Here’s how to make your home-selling journey smoother, according to property agents and The future of co-living spaces in Singapore in the next five years.
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Looking to sell your property?
Whether your HDB apartment is reaching the end of its Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) or your condo has crossed its Seller Stamp Duty (SSD) window, it is always good to know how much you can potentially gain if you were to list and sell your property. Not only that, you’ll also need to know whether your gains would allow you to right-size to the dream home in the neighbourhood you and your family have been eyeing.
One easy way is to send us a request for a credible and trusted property consultant to reach out to you.
Alternatively, you can jump onto 99.co’s Property Value Tool to get an estimate for free.
If you’re looking for your dream home, be it as a first-time or seasoned homebuyer or seller – say, to upgrade or right-size – you will find it on Singapore’s fastest-growing property portal 99.co.
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Hi, I am a landlord renting out my apartment. Do I have to pay my agent if he did not turn up for the appt? The tenant agent came and successfully closed the deal. Please advise. Thank you.
Hi Elaine. It’s not just about showing up for the appointment or not. It depends upon the type of agreement you (as a landlord) had with your agent. For example, if you had an exclusive agreement- the agent gets paid no matter who found the tenant. On the other hand, in non-exclusive agreement- whichever agent founds the tenant, gets paid. If the landlord, finds his own tenant, the agent doesn’t get paid. So, in a nutshell, if you had a non-exclusive agreement with the agent you are talking about and found that tenant yourself, the agent won’t get paid in any means. I hope this helps otherwise please feel free to get in touch with us again 🙂
Hi Marissa,
sorry I have not been notified about your comment. Please do! I’ve done lots of research and your article is the only source of truth I’ve found.
Hi Michael, thanks for leaving such a nice appreciation for Marissa. I will surely notify her about this if she missed the comment. Thanks and we hope you would keep visiting our articles!
Thanks for another wonderful post. Where else could anybody get that type of information in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.
We are glad that you find our articles wonderful 🙂 What further information you are seeking? You can try searching on our blog (with the the help of search option), may be you can find something what you are looking for. I hope you had a nice presentation. Please don’t hesitate to get back to us if you have any further questions. Thank you
My agent is asking half month rent plus tax applicable on this commission. Also, stamp duty. Could you please guide if agent is charging the correct amount especially tax which agent ia saying is 7% which I shall be paying for his company. Please guide me quick.
Hi Ali, yes you will need to pay for tax which is customary in Singapore. If you have any more questions, do drop us an email at support@99.co for prompt replies. Hope this helps! (:
this is good…informative….good job
Thanks Darren. It’s happy to know that you like our articles and the website, we are just trying to be the best portal in Singapore in terms of transparency and easiness in finding a new home. If you are still searching for homes to rent or sale in Singapore, let’s do that for you as our team can find the options suitable for you free of cost!
is it normal for agents to collect commission first before they even start provide any service to us.
Hello Wahlin, it is NOT normal for agents to collect commission first before they even start provide any service to us. The commission is AFTER the deal is done. (If any 99.co agent tried to ask you for a commission before the deal, we would appreciate to report us. Our aim is to make 99.co, the best and transparent portal in Singapore to help you find the home you’ll love). Please feel free to get in touch with us again!
I am very interested, with this article an accurate explanation can make us sure. to buy property at 99.co
If after my lease ends and I re-sign a new agreement to stay in the same apartment, do agents get paid the same fee again? I fall in the “below $3500 in rent & 2-year lease” category and paid my tenant agent a full month’s rent for the initial contract.
Hi MJ, apologies for replying so late. So here it is, as per the article we wrote above. If you have a case below $3,500 in rent and 2 years of lease, then you might need to pay the agent’s fee equivalent to ‘full one month’s rent’. Actually, there are no rules on it. The agent will ask you for it but if you can reach the landlord directly, you don’t need to. Hope this helps otherwise please, feel free to get in touch with us again.
What if the agent sneaks in a clause in the original contract after we agree with the landlord to rent the place. Clause that says we have to engage them for lease renewal and have to pay fees again?
Hi Abby,
That is an unethical practice. First of all, it is advisable not to sign off on the revised contract.
Do you still have the original tenancy agreement with signatures of both you and your landlord? That should suffice in honouring the agreement established between you, the agent and the landlord.
Regards.
Adam R.
Hi, thanks for the info. Can I check about the following scenario? My niece is in the process of renting a room. She has to pay the agent fees to the agent she found online but after meeting the landlord, the landlord disclosed that he’s also paying the agent fees to another agent (who is also the husband of my niece’s agent). The two agents are husband and wife doing a co-broking. In this scenario, does it count as double-charging and if the agents are against the law to charge both sides? Thanks for your clarification.
Hi Alax. Let’s try to simplify this problem. You have a niece and she in the process of renting a room. She is paying agent fees to the agent from her side. This is correct, legal and makes sense. On the other hand, the landlord is also paying agent fees from his/her side. This is also correct, legal and makes sense. So, on both sides there are different agents and this is how the system works 🙂 What matters here is that one agent cannot represent the both sides, buyer/tenant and seller/landlord. (It doesn’t matter that the agents are husband-wife or in a relation). I am sorry for replying so late. Fore more information you can visit our another article touching this topic at https://www.99.co/blog/singapore/the-tenants-agent/ Hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch with us again if you have any further doubts or questions.
My is agent is asking us to pay the stamp duty and agent fee before he hand us over the contract.
Should we agree or wait for the agent to give us the contract before we pay for the agent fee?
Hi Jason, apologies for the late reply. Here is the answer to your question. Rule of the thumb says that the stamp duty is to be paid by the buyer within 14 days AFTER the date of the document (e.g. Sale and Purchase Agreement, Tenancy Agreement) if the document is signed in Singapore. If the document is signed overseas, it has to be paid within 30 days AFTER date of its receipt in Singapore. So, first, you should have your contact, then AFTER it and within 14 days, you should pay your stamp duty. For more information on this, you can read our article on Stamp Duty: https://www.99.co/blog/singapore/what-is-the-stamp-duty/ Hope this helps and please feel free to get in touch with us again if you need more information.
I responded to an online advertisement for a room rental. Spoke to a lady and she gave me details of the room and owner’s(her brother) contact for viewing. After the viewing, the owner asked me to contact the lady if I needed anything else. Same night, she msg and I told her I was interested but I need some time to prepare my school’s documentation before signing the agreement.
I was puzzled when she asked me to include payment of $300 for her services. Can you please advise me at which point did I start to use her service without my acknowledgment ?
When I questioned her abt it, she said the owner pays $300 and tenant pays $300 for her service. Please enlighten me. Thank you.
Hi Reha,
Just to clarify, is the lady in question an agent who is representing the owner’s rental property?
Here is an article we have that can enlighten you on the structure of payment: https://www.99.co/blog/singapore/commission-property-agents/
It is advisable at this juncture that you do not provide any payment to the lady or the property owner until all paperwork is finalised and a proper contract is signed.
Regards,
Adam R.
Is there a necessity to get a tenancy agreement stamped? Or is it a must to stamp all TA regardless of the rental?
Hi Shirley,
It is best that you get it stamped so as to ascertain that the contract is binding.
Regards,
Adam R.
Hi,
I have found this article very helpful.
I am looking for a room that is connected with a landlord’s agent.
In this case, you mentioned, I pay ” no commission as a tenant, but you’ll have to fend for your own interests.” What do you mean by “my own interest”?
Also, I read that I do need to pay one month of GST (7%).
Where does this GST come from? Who do I need to pay to, a landlord or an agent?
My scenario is the following :
I want to rent an entire HDB apartment. I searched online on my own and found listing that fit my requirements and in order to arrange for viewing I contacted the agent who had put up the advertisement online.
The agent however is requesting for agent fee to even arrange a viewing. Moreover, i am not sure if the agent is the owner’s agent or is co-brokering as the agent didn’t reveal when asked. Because of this, i am not sure what value the agent brings to the table during the whole process.
My questions are the following :
1. Is it right for an agent to ask agent fee?
2. If the agent demands agent fee, is there a list of services (legally valid) that can be expected for that fee ?
3. What are the avenues to get in touch with either owners or owners agents directly if the house searching is self-sourced process like in my situation?
Hi,
If I rent 18 months ,how much do I need to pay agent fee?
Hi Lim,
I’m assuming you’re a tenant? It depends on how much rent you have negotiated to pay per month and whether you have an agent representing you.
Given that you are renting for 18 months, it can be considered to be almost a two year lease. If the rent you have agreed to pay is less than $3,500 then you will have to food 1 month’s rent (if you have an agent). If the rent is above $3,500, you don’t have to pay anything.
The best option though is to clarify with both your agent and the landlord on the payment and lease terms.
Regards,
Adam R.
Hi, if I posted an ad online to rent out my place and an agent contacted me saying they have a client. Do I still need to pay the agent? Is it possible for the owner to act on their own without any agent? Thanks.
Hi DC,
You will need to negotiate with the agent to clarify that you do not wish to engage in his services/pay him commission, so as to not have any disagreement.
With regards to the 2nd point, yes it is possible to rent out your property without an agent.
Regards,
Adam R.
Hi, I wiuld like to chheck can I deal directly with landlord for re-contrct of whole
Unit reny? I am a tennant though..
Hi OK,
Yes it is possible to re-contract with the landlord directly if you wish to extend the lease in the same residential premises.
Regards,
Adam R.
Hi, forgot to mention that currently I sign contract through agent service…thank you for your reply..
Hi,could like to check how if tenants want to renew the contract for another year.This agent is the agent that get tenants for my house,how much do I need to pay the agent for the renewal fee.
Can I discharge a agent when I renew the tenancy. I m the landlord and the tenant has an agent representing them. My agent has not done his job to help in negotiating with the tenant or looking into the maintenance of air cons and others. Instead only interested to ask for commission. This the 3rd year of renewal and I have to remind my agent to check if the tenant will renew the lease. Please advise if I can discharge my agent and how? Can I use a different agent since the tenant has his agent?
Hi Heidi,
Yes, it should be possible. You’ll just have to mention to your current agent that you’re no longer interested in continuing with his/her service.
Regards,
Adam R.
Hi, I rented my 3 room flat out for 7 months, and the washing sink stuck and water could not flow,tenants told me is my flat problem. Yes, before rent there is problem of the sink but I already get plumber to change the pipe and the sink water was flowing well. Now tenants stay for 7 months and the washing sink problem came back so tenants insist that mi must pay to the plumber,please help do I need to pay or should be the user who should pay.
Hi Adam
If I have a landed property to be sold by the agent with a realistic price about $2.7 million is it reasonable to negotiate 1.5% commission for the $2.7 m and say 3 % for any additional sale price of $200K as incentive for the premium additional sales.
What do you think? it would mean $ 49K compared to a straight 1.5% of #2.9 m which is $43.5 K.
But if paying 2% for #2.9 M will be $58 K commission
Is it a trade secret on the split between the agent organization and the agent individual on sharing of commission?
Dear P Seller,
It should be noted that there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to the percentage of commission that is accorded to seller’s agents. It is up to you to negotiate and agree on a percentage that is acceptable to you and your agent. To safeguard both your interests, the agreed upon commission should also be filled in the Estate Agency Agreement for the Sale of Residential Property form which can be downloaded from the CEA website.
All the best in the sale of your property!
Cheers,
Krristy
Hi, I am a landlord and am close to renting out my place at $3500+/2yr contract. I agreed to paying one months rent to my broker already. The broker now wants me to sign a contract to pay an additional month rent as commission if there is a 24 month renewal at the end of two years. This sounds expensive. What is standard? Do most landlord/tenants negotiate directly at this point and not pay commission? Since the tenant is not paying commission, he/she has little incentive to exclude the broker. Are both the buy side and sell side broker sharing the renewal commission?
There is no obligation to sign at this stage. This will enable you to engage another broker at the end of the current lease if you are not satisfied witb the current broker’s service. So dont sign and keep the current broker in his toes.
Couldn’t agree more!
If I found the agent and the listing online myself, am I required to pay the tenant’s agent’s fee? Can agents demand for it?
Thanks
Kenneth
Hi Kennth,
Please refer to our blog article below for steps to follow in order to establish a transparent and amicable relationship with your property agent.
https://www.99.co/blog/singapore/happy-property-consumer-follow-6-steps/
You may wish to note that the agent you found online cannot represent both you and the landlord. Should you wish to appoint a tenant’s agent to represent your interests for the duration of your tenancy, please be sure to work out the commission structure and put it down in black and white before proceeding further.
Thank you!
Best wishes,
Krristy
Hello Krristy,
Thank you for your reply, Just to confirm even I was the one who found them on their posts. They have the right to demand for agent’s fee?
Hi Kenneth,
You may wish to work out them (the tenant’s agent) the scope of their duties and responsibilities to you before agreeing on a commission due to them.
As we have mentioned in the article, there are certainly no fixed rules to adhere to.
Good luck!
Krristy
So if there is no seller’s agent and the buyer comes direct to me with his agent, then I only pay 1% to the buyer’s agent?
Hi Wynn,
Please refer to point 3 in this blog article.
As a rule of thumb, there are no fixed rules with regards to commission percentages, and any commission due is privately negotiated.
If you’re marketing and selling your own HDB flat, the buyer’s agent’s commission will be paid for by the buyer. A different scenario applies for the sale of private property.
Do keep in mind that the buyer’s agent represents the buyer’s interest, and not yours. In such a case, you may wish to appoint your own seller’s agent to represent your interest in the transaction. An agent cannot both represent the seller and buyer.
When in doubt, please refer to CEA for best practices needed to facilitate a smooth property transaction.
Good luck!
Best regards,
Krristy
Hello,
Firstly, I would like to thank you for the neatly carved article. I have a situation, where we engaged the agent 2 years ago. We paid the agent fees for the 1st year, then he put a clause stating that we need to pay the agent fees for the second year if we renew the contract. We paid the agent fees for the second year as well. Now we are planning to renew our contract for the third year, even though we talk to our owner’s agent directly on anything he is insisting that we pay the agent fees for 3rd year renewal. Is it legal for agent to turn up at the end of every year and ask agent fees?
Hi Varun,
Commission structure is mutually discussed and agreed upon between the agent and his/her clients. There’re no laws governing that.
Regards,
Krristy
Whole unit rented
If I want to renew
Am I still pay agt fee?
Helpful blog and information is so good.Thank you
I am renting out my private apartment (more than $3500 p.m.). How many month’s rent should i be paying my agent for a 3 year lease. The tenant has no agent and it is not a co-broke. Thanks.
I chanced upon your blog and seek your advice. My tenancy is due for renewal. I have paid the agent’s commission for the first tenancy.
1. For this renewal, do I have to pay agent’s commission again?
2. Is it a fixed rate of 1 month for a 18 month contract? Negotiable?
3. If I discharged my agent, what are the repercussions?
Thank you.
Hi,
I am negotiating a TA. Rent price was negotiated for SGD 6,100. The TA mentions a monthly rental of this amount. But that the amount comprises of
1. SGD 3,480 being rental in respect of the premises
2. SGD 2,320 being charges for the hire of the furniture, fixtures and fittings
3. SGD 300 being maintenance charges
We only discussed monthly rent, not the split as mentioned above.
Can you tell me if it is normal that this is split up like this?
As number 1 is below 3,500 will I as a tenant become liable to pay the agent? (I have to tenant agent).
Other than white goods We will only rent a couch, and tv console. I do not see the reason to pay this amount for this part.
Will the agent be paid on the full amount or only part 1?
We have a diplomatic clause which if used makes us liable to pay a pro rated part of the fee for the complete month.
My previous contracts always had SGD 150 for minor repairs. This one mentions SGD 175. The LL agent said it is because higher rent. Is this normal?
Many thanks for your swift response.
Is it true in the market practice for agents to collect from sellers:
a. Commission of 1-2% of selling price when the property sales went though;
b. 50% of the deposit (usually 5-10% of selling price) paid to buyers when the sales fell through (failed sales)?
If true, isn’t it unfair for sellers to pay higher commissions to agents when their properties were not sold than when sold?
I am in the process of purchasing an apartment which comes with tenancy agreement. The current TA will expire in Aug this year. However, the current tenant / previous landlord has just renewed for another year, in Apr (4 months early).
The landlord paid the 1/2 month fee to the agent and he is asking me (new landlord/owner) to “refund” him the fee as going forward he won’t be receiving the monthly rental. Do I have to refund him the agency fee? Thanks
If a landlord is not engaging any agent while tenant has an agent (this tenant purely assist tenant only, landlord did not get any help from this agent). Does the landlord still need to pay tenant’s agent commission?
This case is a $3500 rental 2 years contract.
Hello,
I will try first to find out the needs needed by my customers & adjust the internal property data that I have with the advantages of these properties so that commissions from internal are not divided. If it is true that a stroke must be discussed according to the agreement of the two owners & buyers agents
Hi, I am a HDB resale buyer and just did the completion recently. There is an extension of 2 months for my unit and I am wondering if it is okay to demand to pay agent’s commission only after I collected my key from seller (i.e end of extension period). I have concern over the performance of agent if he is paid before key collection.
Hi,
My condo tenancy agreement expired soon (after 2 years on rental). We do plan for renewal. We wish to understand the meaning of 1 clause 5 (O) “In the event that the landlord should grant the Tenant an extension of the said term herein then the Landlord shall pay their respective Real Estate Salesperson another commission equivalent to one half (1/2) of the new monthly rental of every year of extension.
My understanding on this clause is Only Landlord need to pay for renewal agent fee. There is no need to pay renewal agent fee from tenant side. Is it?
Hi
I have misplaced my signed tenancy agreement, how can i get a copy without going thru the agent? I had asked several times however he only sent the soft copy without the signature.
Please advise.
Hi. What can I do (as a landlord) if my rental agent included this statement in a Tenancy Agreement, under the Clause called ‘Commission/Renewal Commission’, which I am not comfortable with: “In the event that the Landlord should grant the Tenant an extension of the said term herein then the Landlord shall pay the agency a renewal commission of the equivalent of half a month’s rental and GST for every one (1) year or less period of extension of lease.”. I take it to mean that it requires a fixed amount of commission to be paid for all renewals with the same tenant? The agent is from one of the largest real estate agencies in Singapore, so by that association, I assumed that such a Clause is a common and accepted practice in Singapore. Thanks.
Hi,
Do we need to pay GST for the commission as a seller?
Regards,
Steven
Hi,
Do we have to pay GST for the commission for agent.
I’m selling my place soon.
Regards,
Steve
Hi I am a condo owner, thinking of listing my property for sale. If a buyer agent brought a buyer to buy my property. Do I pay the buyer’s agent commission as he is unable to represent both buyer and seller which against the CEA ruling – conflict of interest?
I’m about to sign a TA for a 24 months, for $3000, to rent an apartment. As the tenant, I’m not paying any agent fees right now. We are liaising with the owner’s agent. However, the TA includes a clause stating that the landlord and tenant BOTH will have to pay agent fees if we were to renew the agreement after 24 months. Is this correct? Do I, as the tenant, need to pay the owner’s agent a renewal fee?
Hello,
Would love your advice. If the LL and myself, the tenant have directly decided to extend the lease on a month by month rolling basis does that mean LL does not need to pay the agent commission? This arrangement is likely to last 5 months.
IMHO, this current common practise of commission based on the whole sales price needs some revamping. Say for buyer commission of 1% for HDB, since it is by percentage, the higher the buying price, the higher the commission, that is obviously conflict of interest for agent to ask for lower price. Also for seller commission of 2%, say if I bought a $1M property, and target to sell for 10% capital appreciation at $1.1M, the seller commission is 22K, that is 22% of the capital appreciation of 100K!!! (No wonder so many property agents out there.) Even if they do their work and deserve the pay, it should be structured based on the additional that they would negotiate, e.g. 1% of total sales + 50% above target price. Say the agent is good to negotiate to $1.12M, an additional 20K, then he deserves to earn 10K out of this 20K that he negotiated. Rather than the original 2% of the whole amount, that additional 20K is merely a $400 more, why he bothers doing all the hard work to negotiate?
Similarly for the buyer agent, if I’m the buyer and I want to buy the same property market at $1.15M, but my target is $1.13M. I think commission should be something like 0.5% of total sales + 50% below target price. If agent helps to negotiate to $1.12M, 10K below target then he deserves half of this amount of 5K.
Well, these are just my simple thinking, based on interest and conflict of interest.
Hi there,
Can you please let me the structure based on purchasing a commercial property?
Thanks!
Hi,
When I rented my current unit, I saw that two agents posted for one property on a listing portal. I approached one agent, he said need to pay commission to him as the other one is the owner’s agent. I’m confused why there’s two advertisement for the same property. I guess if I went to the other agent he will say other one is the owner agent and I need to pay commission. I guess this is some kind of a trick by property agents to grab commissions from the tenant ? While co-brooking is allowed could they advertise same property by two agents and get commission no matter whom we approach? If we approach one agent he will say other is the owner’s agent and they work collectively and we need to pay commission no matter which listing we select.
Hi There. Does a buyer for a resale HDB flat have to pay the 1% commission to the seller’s agent?
detailed
Hi, 99.co,
You might wish to edit and update your blog post to up the $3500 range to $4000..
Tenant now should be paying even rental is $4000 and 2 years lease..
If they wish to engage a tenant agent for their services, they should appreciate their efforts and pay.
Just like we, the landlords we paid our agents for their hardwork and marketing fees.
Ended up, the landlord’s agent was asked to split the commission with tenant’s agent??
This has to be improve and change..
If tenant cant appreciate their agent service and not willing to pay, dont engage then.
Thanks
Thank you for all your help. Your service was excellent and very FAST. Many thanks for you kind and efficient service. I have already and will definitely continue to recommend your services to others in the future.
I rented out my property through an agent and paid the one month’s commission (2 yr lease) as per industry practice. Two years later, my tenant would like to renew the lease for another 2 years. Do I have to pay my agent another one month’s commission? I do not read any clause in the original TA that requires me to do that. Since there is no new tenant involved and no effort on the part of the agent, I am baffled as to why I should be paying another month’s of commission? Isn’t renewal essentially re-drafting the new TA, getting it e-stamped and pay the stamp duty?
I have been doing the researching of apartments to rent myself, scheduling the viewing appointments and seeing the apartments on my own. A couple of landlord agents have told me that even though I did all the work myself without any tenant agent whatsoever, I must still pay the commission of the landlord’s agent simply because the market right now is in favor of the landlords and the landlords are deciding to pass the expense on to the tenants. I find this unethical and corrupt. What recourse do I have?
I bought a property through my agent that was not in his proposed selection list. Should I pay him full commission?
If after my lease ends and I re-sign a new agreement to stay in the same apartment, do agents get paid the same fee again? I fall in the “below $3500 in rent & 2-year lease” category and paid my tenant agent a full month’s rent for the initial contract.
Can I re-lease my unit by bypassing my agent and going directly to the landlords agent? My agent hasn’t done anything other than forward messages and this doesn’t seem fair to be required to pay a months rent.
I am a tenant, I sign contract for 1 year lease for one common room.
I wish to have early termination of the contract.
My agent state that I have to pay agent service fee for the remaining months before my contract ends, as the landlord have already paid 12 months of agent service fee.
But my contracts only state that if I wish to have early termination, i will need to give one month notice.
The contract did not state any thing about the agent service fee, and neither did she mention when I first sign the contract. Is it okay for me not to pay the agent service fee?
I am the tenant looking for a place in website such as this. When see an interesting ads that suits in my requirements. I will immediately messaged the ads. Do we have to pay the commission on the person/ company who posted the ads? Why do we have to do that which in the first the person nor the company did not assist or help to find us a place in the first but how come we have to the commission?
Want to check is there any hidden cost for agent who offer 1% commission for seller of HDB flat?
Hi, currently I’m looking a unit to rent. I found that some landlords’ agent is asking commission from me. Is it ok? They are asking 1 month commission for 2 years lease and half month commission for 1 year lease. Should I pay for it?
Is it true that property agents cannot change their commission rate and that the rates are determined by their agency?
If I sell HDB , must have an agent ?
Can I find a buyer with agent and the seller don’t need to have seller agent can or not?
The article “How Much Commission Do Property Agents in Singapore Really Get?” on 99.co provides a detailed explanation of the commission structure for property agents in Singapore. The article states that the standard commission rate for property agents is 2% of the sale price for private properties and 1% for HDB properties. It also highlights that there may be additional costs such as GST and marketing fees. The article also provides tips for sellers on how to negotiate commissions with their agents. This article is informative and helpful for those who are planning to sell their property and want to understand the commission structure for property agents in Singapore.
My landed house was rented at above $3.5K. The tenant stayed for a month and then want to break lease because he has a project overseas requiring a lot of travel and wants family to move to a condo.
Do I need to pay my Agent commission again to find a new Tenant.