Consideration of Prior Work and Managerial Experience in Approval for Registration as Real Estate Salespersons

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for National Development whether the Council for Estate Agencies considers prior work and managerial experience for mid-career applicants seeking to be registered as real estate salespersons where the prospective applicant does not have the prescribed minimum of four GCE "O" Level passes but has worked for many years in a managerial role.

Individuals who wish to register as real estate salespersons (RESs) are required to fulfil the registration criteria, which include having a minimum of four GCE "O" Level passes or the equivalent as determined by the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). This ensures that RESs have basic literacy skills to understand the laws and procedures on property transactions, and provide accurate advice to their clients, and is intended to safeguard consumer interests.

Benchmarking prior work experience against the literacy requirements can be highly subjective. For instance, work experience based on similar job titles could vary considerably within an industry, and more so across different industries and localities.

Individuals without the relevant educational qualifications can take the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WPLN) assessment by registering with the British Council. The assessment is highly subsidised for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents and can also be paid for using SkillsFuture Credits. CEA will accept a grading of Level 5 and above for the WPLN assessment in lieu of the four GCE "O" Level passes.