The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has issued a Practice Guideline to promote ethical advertising by property agents. These guidelines were developed after consultation with property agents, industry associations, government bodies such as the HDB and URA, and the Consumers Association of Singapore. These guidelines will apply to all forms of advertisements, including classifieds, pamphlets or flyers, online advertising, SMS and even social media.

With effect from 1 August 2011, property agents must:

1. Refrain from using misleading headlines and claims

Use of headlines such as “King of xxx (location)”, “Mr. xxx (location”, “Real Estate Specialist” or “Expert” are no longer allowed. Property agents must also ensure that any claims of expertise, specialization or success rate can be substantiated by verifiable records.

2. Display their professional details

Details like their name, registration/licence and contact numbers must be included in every advertisement. This is to prevent unlicensed agents from operating.

3. ...