Allowing Estate Agents to Refuse Instructions from Clients who Exclude or Favour Prospective Tenants Based on Race or Nationality

Mr Kok Heng Leun asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider requiring estate agents licensed by the Council of Estate Agents to (i) refuse to place advertisements that exclude or favour groups of prospective tenants based on race or nationality and (ii) refuse instructions from clients who seek to exclude or favour such groups.

The Council of Estate Agents' (CEA’s) regulatory guidelines require property agents to be sensitive to Singapore’s diverse social fabric. Property agents are not allowed to place advertisements that are discriminatory, offensive or stereotype any particular race, religion or group in society. They are also not allowed to indicate a preference for any ethnicity in all advertisements, unless for compliance with Government regulations, such as the Ethnic Integration Policy. It is the duty of property agents to inform their clients of the need to adhere to these guidelines.

Property agents who breach any of these guidelines can either be issued a written warning or be subjected to disciplinary action which may result in suspension or revocation of licence or registration.