Agent fees in Singapore rentals — what's regulated, what's negotiable

In January 2024, the CEA issued revised practice guidelines that, for the first time, explicitly addressed the co-broking fee structure for rental transactions. The key change: the CEA made clear that in a co-broking arrangement (where the landlord's agent and the tenant's agent split a commission), the landlord's agent cannot unilaterally dictate the split in a way that leaves the tenant's agent with nothing — a practice that had created perverse incentives in the market.

The guidelines don't cap commissions. They clarify duties of disclosure and fair dealing.

There is no legislated rate, but the market convention in Singapore for private residential rentals is:

• Lease of 2+ years: one month's rent as the total commission
• Lease of 12–23 months: half a month's rent
• Lease under 12 months: subject to negotiation, often higher as a proportion

This commission is typically paid by the landlord to their agent, who then co-brokes (splits) with the tenant's agent. Whether the tenant pays a fee depends on which side engaged the agent and what was agreed upfront.

If you engage your own agent, you may be asked to pay them a fee — especially if the landlord's side is offering a low co-broke or no co-broke. This should be disclosed to you before the agent starts showing you properties. Under CEA's guidelines, agents must tell you in writing what fee they expect from you (if any) before providing substantive services.

If you approach a landlord or agent directly without your own representation, you typically pay no commission — the landlord pays their agent. But you also have no agent looking out for your interests.

CEA's rules prohibit agents from:

• Collecting commission from both landlord and tenant without disclosing this to both parties
• Acting for both landlord and tenant in the same transaction without written consent from both ("dual representation" requires explicit acknowledgement)
• Misrepresenting the property condition, lease terms, or market comparables
• Withholding offers or counter-offers that their client hasn't seen

If an agent is pushing you to decide quickly, refusing to give you time to review the tenancy agreement, or can't clearly explain their fee arrangement — those are red flags worth taking seriously.

Commission rates are negotiable in most scenarios. Landlords with desirable units in low-vacancy buildings often pay the full commission without passing any cost to tenants. In a softer market, tenants have more leverage to ask their agent to reduce or waive their fee.

What's less negotiable: asking the landlord's agent to represent you as well, or expecting an agent who isn't being paid a co-broke to work hard to advocate for your interests. The incentive structure matters. Paying a modest fee to your own agent often results in better negotiation outcomes than relying on the landlord's agent to "be fair."

All real estate agents in Singapore must be licensed by the CEA and registered under a licensed agency. You can verify any agent's registration at the CEA Public Register (cea.gov.sg). Search by name or registration number — an unregistered person collecting commission is committing an offence under the Estate Agents Act.

Knowing a past tenant's experience with an agent is harder. If the agent managed the unit you're viewing, previous tenants may have left feedback about how issues were handled. That's worth checking before you sign.