Singapore’s Big Five real estate agencies to crack down on improper distribution of property fliers

SINGAPORE – The five biggest real estate agencies – which manage more than 85 per cent of all property agents in Singapore – have agreed to tackle the issue of nuisance fliers and pamphlets in HDB estates.

Instead of leaving such fliers at gates, doors and other common areas, agents will be told to place them in mailboxes, or to distribute them by post or through flier distribution services.

The key is that such fliers must not be “visible to members of the public other than the intended recipient(s)”, the Singapore Institute of Estate Agents (SIEA) said in a statement on Feb 13.

This new guidelines will go into effect on April 1. There will be penalties for agents who breach the rules.

The five agencies – PropNex Realty, ERA Realty Network, Huttons Asia, OrangeTee & Tie and SRI – signed a formal agreement on the issue on Feb 13.

In all, the agencies represent more than 32,000 property agents as at Jan 1, according to the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). There are a total of 36,816 agents in Singapore.

In a statement on Feb 13, SIEA said the agencies acknowledged the need to minimise disamenities caused by fliers that are left improperly at gates, doors and common areas of HDB estates.

The agencies will also adopt a standard approach to handle breaches of these new guidelines.

Agents will get a letter of caution on their first breach.

For their second offence, they will receive the same letter and must attend a course on ethical flier distribution held by SIEA.

If they offend a third time, they will be suspended from distributing fliers to HDB homes for six months, “with continued escalation until a two-year clean record is achieved”.

The five agencies will have to inform SIEA of real estate agents who have received complaints from residents, and the industry body will keep records of all breaches.

“This centralised approach enables SIEA to continue tracking breaches even if a real estate salesperson switches estate agencies or leaves the industry and later re-enters,” it added.

Mr Raymond Khoo, chief agency officer of OrangeTee & Tie, said that improper flier distribution has long been a source of frustration for residents.

He said the agency is committed to ensuring that fliers are distributed only through the correct and permitted channels.

Mr Lim Yong Hock, key executive officer of PropNex Realty, said flier distribution is essential for many real estate agents as it is a cost-effective marketing tool.

“At the same time, we recognise residents’ concerns about flier distribution. We are committed to working closely with SIEA to ensure our salespersons adhere to clear, responsible and well-defined processes when distributing fliers to home owners,” Mr Lim added.

CEA received 505 advertisement-related complaints in 2024, up from 375 in 2023, according to its 2024 annual report.

These comprise complaints against improper flier distribution, as well as other issues like misleading property listings.

Ms Angela Ng, 31, said she started receiving property agents’ fliers shortly after she moved into her HDB Build-To-Order flat in Punggol.

The fliers, which would be left on top of her shoe rack or stuffed in the gate, would sometimes end up strewn across the corridor due to the wind, she said.

“It is an eyesore and a hassle to pick them up, especially when the floor is wet,” said the marketing executive, who estimated that she receives at least one such flier a day.

“It is also a waste of resources because our MOP is not yet up,” she added.

Owners of HDB flats must fulfil the MOP or minimum occupation period – typically five years – before they can sell their homes on the resale market.