HDB agent commission in 2026: what you actually pay
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Step 2 · Count the costJames Yeo, CEA R051864Z · Updated 18 September 2026 · 7 min read
Quick answer
There is no official commission rate in Singapore. The market habit is 2% of the selling price plus 9% GST for the seller's agent, and about 1% for a buyer's agent, paid by the buyer. On a $600,000 flat that is $13,080 out of your proceeds. It is negotiable, it must be written into the Estate Agency Agreement before any work starts, and it is usually only payable on completion.
I charge a fixed $1,999 plus GST to sell instead of 2%, which is $2,179 all in. The rest of this guide explains where the 2% number comes from, what it buys you, and how to check what you are agreeing to.
When you sell an HDB flat, the agent's fee is usually the single biggest cost after the CPF refund, and most sellers only find out what it is when the completion statement arrives. So before you sign anything, let me walk you through the numbers the way I do with my own clients.
Is there a fixed commission rate for HDB agents?
No. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) does not set commission rates or publish a guideline. Their position is that the fee is a private agreement between you and your agent, so that agents compete on price. The "2%" you keep hearing is a market convention, not a rule. Nobody can tell you that you must pay 2%, and no agent can be reported for charging less.
What CEA does require is that the fee is written down. Every HDB resale sale has to use CEA's prescribed Estate Agency Agreement for the Sale of Residential Property, and the commission clause in it has to say the amount or percentage, whether GST is on top, and when it is payable. If an agent asks you to start viewings before this is signed, that is the first warning sign.
What does a seller usually pay in 2026?
Across the 77 HDB flats I have sold, the typical arrangement a seller is offered by a traditional agent is:
- 2% of the transacted price for the seller's agent. Some agents quote 1.5% for a straightforward flat, or 1% if you push, but 2% is the default in most agency templates.
- Plus 9% GST if the agency is GST-registered, which all the large agencies are. GST went up to 9% on 1 January 2024, so the true rate is 2.18%, not 2%.
- Payable on completion, deducted from your sale proceeds at HDB. You do not pay anything upfront.
On the buyer's side, the buyer's agent usually collects about 1% from the buyer. This matters to you as a seller because of a change in July 2024 (explained below): the buyer's agent should no longer be asking your agent for a cut of your 2%.
What does 2% look like in dollars?
Percentages hide the money. Here is the same 2% + GST on flats at different prices, next to my fixed fee. The $679,570 row is the islandwide median 4-room resale price in Q2 2026, so for many readers that is roughly your flat.
| Selling price | 2% commission | + 9% GST | Fixed fee $1,999 + GST | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $450,000 (typical 3-room) | $9,000 | $9,810 | $2,179 | $7,631 |
| $600,000 | $12,000 | $13,080 | $2,179 | $10,901 |
| $679,570 (median 4-room, Q2 2026) | $13,591 | $14,815 | $2,179 | $12,636 |
| $800,000 (typical 5-room) | $16,000 | $17,440 | $2,179 | $15,261 |
| $1,000,000 | $20,000 | $21,800 | $2,179 | $19,621 |
Median prices from HDB's Q2 2026 resale data. Both columns include 9% GST: my fee is $1,999 plus GST, $2,179 all in. Whoever you use, get the GST position in writing.
Look at the $600,000 row. The seller pays $13,080 for the sale. What has changed between a $600,000 flat and an $800,000 flat that justifies $4,360 more in fees? The paperwork is identical: same HDB resale portal, same Option to Purchase, same resale application, same completion appointment. Marketing costs about the same. The only thing that scales with price is the commission. That is the core reason I moved to a fixed fee, and it is the question I would put to any agent quoting a percentage.
What are you actually paying for?
To be fair to the 2% model, a good agent does real work, and you should know what it is so you can judge whether you are getting it:
- Pricing. Pulling the last 12 months of transactions for your block and flat type, and pricing against what is competing with you this month, not last year. Getting this wrong by 3% costs you more than any commission.
- Marketing. Photos, floor plan, listing on the portals, and now video. My own listings get a home tour on TikTok and YouTube because that is where buyers already are.
- Viewings and negotiation. Screening buyers for eligibility and loan approval before they view, then holding the price when the offers come in.
- HDB process. Intent to Sell, the 7-day cooling period, OTP, the resale application, and chasing the buyer's side so completion does not slip.
All four should be in the agreement, in writing. If the agent cannot explain what is included, the percentage is just a number.
What changed in July 2024, and why does it affect your fee?
Before July 2024, it was common for a buyer's agent to ask the seller's agent to share the seller's 2%, because the buyer refused to pay. That created a quiet conflict: your agent had an incentive to favour the buyer whose agent asked for less. From 1 July 2024, the Singapore Estate Agents Association's best practice guide says each agent collects only from the client they represent, and CEA reported that about 90% of salespersons had adopted it by early 2025.
For you as a seller, the practical effect is this. Your 2% (or your fixed fee) pays your agent, full stop. If your agent tells you a buyer's agent "needs" a cut from your side to bring the buyer, ask why the buyer is not paying their own agent. Under CEA rules, an agent who collects from one party cannot collect any fee from the other party in the same deal.
Can you negotiate, and what should you ask for?
Yes, and most sellers do not because they assume 2% is fixed. Four things worth negotiating before you sign:
- The rate itself. Ask what the fee is on a good result and on a poor one. A flat 2% means the agent is paid the same whether the flat sells in 3 weeks or 4 months.
- GST. Ask whether the quoted figure is inclusive. "2% plus GST" and "2% inclusive" differ by about $1,000 on a $600,000 flat.
- Exclusivity. Most agents will ask you to sign an exclusive, usually for 3 months. Ask what happens if the flat is not sold by then, and make sure you are not paying commission on a buyer you found yourself. For the record, I do not ask sellers to sign an exclusive. I also do not take open listings, where four agents market the same flat and nobody owns the result. If you decide my model works for you, you work with me and I do the whole job; that is the deal, and it is a handshake, not a lock-in.
- What is included. Photography, video, portal listings. Some agents charge these on top; that should be in the agreement, not a surprise.
Is a cheaper agent a worse agent?
This is the question sellers are too polite to ask me directly, so I will answer it here. A lower fee only makes sense if the result is the same. Across my 77 HDB sales, 3 in 10 sold within 30 days and 58% within 3 months, and every one of those transactions is listed on my sell page with the block and the price. I would rather you check that list than take my word for it. I have written a separate guide on whether a fixed-fee agent tries less hard, with the time-to-sell data broken out, because it deserves more than a paragraph.
What I would do if I were selling my own flat
1. Work out your proceeds first, before you talk to any agent. Use the sale proceeds calculator: CPF refund with accrued interest, outstanding loan, and the agent's fee at 2.18% versus a fixed fee. Then you know what a percentage really costs you.
2. Get two quotes in writing on the CEA form, and compare the commission clause, not the sales pitch.
3. Ask each agent for their last five HDB sales, with days on market. Anyone with a real track record will have it ready.
4. If an agent wants an exclusive, keep it to 3 months. If the agent is good, you will not need more.
Frequently asked questions
Is HDB agent commission 1% or 2%?
For the seller's agent, 2% plus GST is the common quote, 1% to 1.5% is achievable by negotiation. Buyer's agents usually charge about 1%, paid by the buyer. None of these are set by CEA.
Do I pay GST on agent commission?
If the agency is GST-registered, yes, at 9% on top of the commission unless the agreement says the figure is inclusive. All the major agencies are GST-registered. Check the box on the Estate Agency Agreement.
When is the commission paid?
Usually on completion of the sale at HDB, deducted from the proceeds. Some agreements make it payable when the OTP is exercised. Read the "when payable" line in the agreement.
Can I sell my HDB flat without an agent to save the fee?
Yes. HDB's resale portal lets owners transact directly and the HDB fees are small. The trade-off is pricing, marketing reach and handling the buyer's side yourself. I am writing a guide on when DIY makes sense and when it costs you more than a fee.
Does the seller pay the buyer's agent?
Not any more, in the normal case. Since July 2024 each agent collects from the client they represent. If a buyer's agent asks for a share of your commission, ask your agent to explain why.
What does your $1,999 fixed fee include, and is GST extra?
$1,999 plus 9% GST, so $2,179 all in, the same on a $450,000 flat or a $1,000,000 one. It covers pricing, photography and video, portal listings and a home tour on my channels, viewings, negotiation and the full HDB process to completion. Payable on completion, like a percentage fee. No exclusive agreement to sign. Details on the sell page.
Licensed real estate salesperson, CEA R051864Z. 90 homes sold across 22 towns, 77 of them HDB. Author of the C.H.O.I.C.E. framework and the book Sell & Buy Properties Start with C.H.O.I.C.E. I sell for a fixed $1,999 plus GST instead of 2%.
Got a specific number you want checked? Send it on WhatsApp, I reply myself.
WhatsApp James · +65 8688 0009