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My Journey to Becoming a Certified Real Estate Salesperson

The path to becoming a certified real estate salesperson was anything but easy. It was a journey of resilience, commitment, and self-discovery. The Real Estate Salesperson (RES) exam consists of two papers, both of which I failed on my first attempt. While it was disheartening, I chose to view this setback not as a failure, but as a stepping stone toward growth.

I was fortunate enough to come across one of the best private tutors in town, whose guidance made all the difference. With three months of intense preparation before my second attempt, I took a completely different approach. I realized that passing the exam isn’t just about memorizing questions and answers—it’s about truly understanding the concepts.

To deepen my understanding, I started creating my own set of questions and answers, which I shared with my fellow course mates. This process not only helped me test my knowledge but also gave me a clearer picture of how well I had grasped the syllabus. It was through these self-made exercises that I built my confidence and readiness.

Paper 2 was particularly challenging, requiring an even deeper dive into topics like the CEA (Council for Estate Agencies) FAQ website, Estate Agents Act, Professional Service Manual, Code of Ethics & Professional Client Care, the HDB Website, and the IRAS FAQ. I know this sounds like a lot, and it was! But every piece of information was essential for the exam, and understanding these regulations and guidelines is key to becoming a competent real estate salesperson.

Looking back, I can confidently say that success is within reach if you're willing to put in the effort. It’s not about short-term memorization, but about genuine understanding and hard work. So, to anyone preparing for the RES exam: believe in yourself, stay committed, and you can achieve it. If I could do it after my initial failure, so can you!

what is the procedure to become a Certified Real Estate Salesperson

Apply for the Real Estate Salesperson Course

CEA requires all new entrants to complete the RES examination preparatory course conducted by CEA Approved Course Providers before registering for the RES examination with their Certificates of RES Course Completion. Please note that only courses provided by CEA Approved Course Providers will be recognised for licensing/registration purposes. 

The Certificate of RES Course Completion has a validity period of 2 years for the purpose of determining eligibility to take the RES examination. Completed course participants are eligible to take the RES examination within 2 years from the completion date of their RES Course. Please note that there will be no extension of the course certificate validity beyond 2 years and appeals for extension will not be entertained. â€‹

​List of CEA Approved Course Providers for the RES Course  

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  • Benchmark Realpro Pte Ltd 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.benchmarkrealpro.com
    Tel No: 6735 5860 / 6735 5861 
    Email: admin@benchmarkrealpro.com
    Office: 151 Chin Swee Road #03-31 Manhattan House Singapore 169876
     

  • Hastor Property Services Pte Ltd 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.hastor.com.sg
    Tel No: 8856 9000/ 8856 1000
    Email: training@hastor.sg 
    Office: 3 Bishan Place #06-01 CPF Building Singapore 579838
     

  • Institute of Estate Agents, Singapore 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.iea.sg
    Tel No: 6323 1770 
    Email: courses@iea.sg
    Office: 6 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square @ JustCo #03-308 Singapore 039594
     

  • Life Mastery Academy Pte Ltd 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.lma.com.sg
    Tel No: 6255 6091 / 6255 6083 
    Email: RES@lifemasteryacademy.com
    Office: Blk 190 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #02-510 Singapore 310190
     

  • Ngee Ann Polytechnic
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.cet.np.edu.sg
    Tel No: 6463 0596
    Email: Contact NP 
    Office: 535 Clementi Road Block 50 #01-01 Singapore 599489
     

  • Pioneer Training & Consultancy Pte Ltd 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.pioneertraining.org
    Tel No: 6462 6093 / 9424 3483 
    Email: pioneertc@gmail.com 
    Office: Blk 134 Jurong Gateway Road #03-309P Singapore 600134
     

  • Real Centre Network Pte Ltd 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.realcentrenetwork.com
    Tel No: 6511 3009 
    Email: info@realcentrenetwork.com
    Office: 490 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #09-16 HDB Hub Biz 3 Singapore 310490 
     

  • Realty International Associates Pte Ltd 
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.riaschool.com.sg
    Tel No: 6339 6000 
    Email: admin@riaschool.com.sg
    Office: 490 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #03-13 HDB Hub Biz 3 Singapore 310490
     

  • Singapore Estate Agents Association
    Contact Details: 
    Website: www.seaa.org.sg
    Tel No: 6702 1602 
    Email: edu@seaa.org.sg
    Office: 60 Paya Lebar Road #13-23 Paya Lebar Square Singapore 409051 (via Office Lift Lobby 1) 

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The RES course fee is between $700 – $800 depending on which course provider you sign up. 

The subsidy that you can use:

    • For NTUC member, you may apply to use the $250 UTAP subsidy for the RES course.

    • If you are Singaporean or Permanent Residents, you may utilize your SkillsFuture credit of up to $500 for the RES course. 

​​Course Requirement for New Entrants:

​

  • Age: 21 Years and Above

  • Citizenship: Singaporean or Permanent Resident

  • Education Level: Minimum of 4 GCE ‘O’ level passes or equivalent (WPLN)

  • Fulfils CEA fit and proper criteria

Candidates who wish to submit their qualification (e.g. overseas qualifications or private diplomas) for assessment to determine if the qualifications meet the educational qualifications requirement may email their academic certificates, academic transcripts, any other supporting documents together with the completed Educational Qualification Assessment from CEA at licensing@cea.gov.sg​

​​Real Estate Salesperson Examination Format

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The Real Estate Salesperson (RES) Examination consists of two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. The duration of each paper is 2½ hours.

With effect from 2023, the format of both Paper 1 and Paper 2 is as follows:

Section A : 60 MCQs (60 marks)
Section B : 20 MCQs with reference to 1 or 2 Case Studies (40 marks)

Duration : 2 ½ hours per paper

 

Modular Sitting for RES Examination

Candidates who have passed any one paper of the RES examination are allowed to retake the examination in modular sitting. The examination results will be in one of the following formats:

  • Pass (P)

  • Fail (F)

  • Pass Paper 1; Fail Paper 2 (P1 F2)

  • Fail Paper 1; Pass Paper 2 (F1 P2)​

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Passing mark for each RES examination paper is 60 and is subject to review by CEA.  You need to pass 2 papers within 2 years after completion of the RES course. 

​​Real Estate Salesperson Examination Schedule

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​​Real Estate Salesperson Examination Fees

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The RES exam cost fee is $512.30 inclusive GST for two papers.

 

Do note that if you failed the paper and need to retake the RES exam, the exam fee is $283.40 inclusive GST per exam paper.​​​

**Note : The examination fees has been updated to $512.30 inclusive GST for two papers

​​Real Estate Salesperson Examination Result Release​

The RES examination results are released approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the examination is held. The time may be longer due to factors such as the number of candidates taking the examination. Candidates will be informed of the exam result via e-mail.​​​

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