Guide · Singapore rules
CEA advertising rules for a property agent's own website
The short answer
Yes, CEA's advertising rules cover your own website and your social media. Every page that promotes you should show your name and phone number as registered with CEA, your CEA registration number, and your agency's name and licence number.
You also need the owner's okay before you advertise their home, and what you say must be true. This guide walks through each rule and links to CEA's own documents.
I build websites for Singapore property agents. Every client asks some version of the same question: "Is my site allowed?" Here's what CEA's guidelines say, in plain English, and how to check your own site in ten minutes.
Does CEA count my website as an ad?
Yes. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) sets the rules for property agents in Singapore. Its main advertising rulebook is called the Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising (PG 2/2011). CEA's list of guidelines dates it 29 June 2011, and it took effect on 1 August 2011.
In plain words, PG 2/2011 covers ads in all kinds of places, not just print. That includes online ads, websites, SMS and social media. When CEA announced the guidelines in 2011, it said they covered advertising, SMS and social media.
So your personal site, your Facebook page and your Instagram profile are all in scope.
One more thing. CEA updates its documents from time to time. Always open the current copy from CEA's practice guidelines and circulars page rather than a saved file.
What your website must show
CEA wrote a tip sheet about advertising on your personal website and social media. It lists what to include in your ad:
"Your name and contact number registered with CEA. Estate agent name and licence number. Salesperson registration number."
CEA tip of the month, August 2020
"Estate agent" here means your agency. "Salesperson" means you. So that's five details:
| Detail | What it looks like | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Your name | [your name as registered] | Use the exact name on the CEA Public Register, not a nickname. |
| Your phone number | [your CEA-registered number] | Use the number CEA has on file. Your WhatsApp button should go to the same number. |
| CEA registration number | [your registration number] | Your own number as a salesperson. |
| Agency name | [agency name] | Your agency's full name, as licensed. |
| Agency licence number | [agency licence number] | Your agency's licence number, not yours. |
Label the numbers clearly so people know which is which. For example: "CEA Registration Number" for yours and "CEA Licence Number" for your agency's.
CEA's consumer page on checking if your property agent is registered lists the same set of details for ads. It also notes that a few short formats, like newspaper classifieds and SMS ads, only need your name and phone number. A website is not on that short list.
Example footer · placeholders only
[your name as registered] · [your CEA-registered number]
CEA Registration Number: [your registration number]
[agency name] · CEA Licence Number: [agency licence number]
The footer is a good home for these details because it shows on every page. Put your name and phone number near the top as well, so visitors see them first.
Get the owner's okay before you post a listing
You can't put a home on your site just because it's on the market. CEA's Advertising Guidelines for Estate Agents and Salespersons say:
"The salesperson must not advertise a property price or any other terms different from those that were instructed by his client. In addition, the salesperson must seek the consent of the owner before advertising his property."
CEA, Advertising Guidelines for Estate Agents and Salespersons
How do you get that okay? CEA's tip sheet What to note when putting up advertisements for your clients says you need consent from all the owners, and it can be in writing, by SMS or another way you can prove. A WhatsApp message you can save and show later is much better than a chat over coffee.
CEA takes this seriously. Its list of past disciplinary cases includes salespersons who advertised homes without the owner's consent. Here is one such case.
On your website, that means: only show listings you have permission for, show the price and terms the owner gave you, and keep a copy of the consent.
Keep every claim honest, including the photos
CEA's consumer page on what to take note of when engaging a property agent tells the public that ads must not contain false, misleading or discriminatory material, and that key facts should be accurate and checked.
CEA's circular PC 3/12 points agents back to the same idea in PG 2/2011: describe the property accurately, and use photos and graphics that show it as it really is.
When the guidelines came out in 2011, news reports said claims about expertise or success rates must be backed by records you can show.
On your website, that means:
- Every number about you is one you can prove. If you can't show the record, leave it out.
- Photos are of the real home. No heavy edits that change what a buyer will see.
- Sizes, prices and tenure match the owner's papers.
- Reviews are real and come with the client's permission.
Take down listings once they're gone
A sold or rented home should not sit on your site as if it's still available. CEA's circular PC 03-13 lists this as an advertising breach:
"failure to remove advertisement after property is no longer available for sale"
CEA Practice Circular PC 03-13
CEA's tip sheet on advertising for your clients makes the same point. Take your ads down once the home is no longer for sale or rent, or once your agreement with the owner has ended.
On your website, that means: when a deal closes, or your agreement with the owner ends, take the listing down. If you want to keep a record of past deals on your site, ask your agency first, get the owner's okay, and label each one clearly as sold or rented. Never let it look like it's still on the market.
Set a reminder to check your listings every week. It takes two minutes.
Before you publish: a 10-point checklist
Open your site on your phone and go through this list.
- Your name on the site matches the CEA Public Register exactly.
- Your CEA registration number shows, with a clear label.
- Your phone number is the one registered with CEA, and the WhatsApp and call buttons go to it.
- Your agency's full name shows.
- Your agency's licence number shows, with a clear label.
- These details show on every page, not just the home page. A footer does this for you.
- You have saved written or SMS consent from the owner for every listing on the site.
- Prices and terms match what each owner told you.
- Every claim about you, and every photo, is true and you can back it up.
- Sold or rented homes are taken down, or clearly marked if your agency allows past deals.
Then send the link to your agency. Ask if they need to approve it before you share it. They know their own process.
How the Sites by Joe template handles this
I built the CEA details into my website template from day one. The footer has set lines for your registered name, your CEA registration number, your agency name and your agency licence number. Your phone number sits in the contact section and drives every WhatsApp and call button. Because it's the footer, it shows on every page.
You can see it on the sample agent site. Rachel Tan is a fictional agent, so the footer shows placeholder text where real numbers would go.
When I build your site, you give me your details and I put them in. You check them against the CEA register before launch. Listings only go up when you tell me the owner has agreed.
One honest line: I build the website. I'm not your agency and I'm not a lawyer, so I can't sign off on compliance. Your agency has the final say.
Common questions
Do the rules apply to Facebook and Instagram too?
Yes. PG 2/2011 covers social media, and CEA's tip sheet covers personal websites and social media together. Put the five details in your bio and in posts that promote a property or your services.
Can I leave out my agency and just show my own name?
No. CEA's list includes your agency's name and licence number as well as your own details.
Can I use my personal mobile number?
Use the number registered with CEA. If you want a different number on your site, ask your agency how to update your registered details first.
Can I show homes I've sold?
Ask your agency first and get each owner's okay. Mark them clearly as sold, and never present them as still available.
Does this guide make my site compliant?
No guide can do that. It points you to the rules and gives you a checklist. Read the CEA documents linked below and check with your agency before you go live.
Social media and ad landing pages
CEA's tip sheet covers your personal website and your social media. PG 2/2011 covers social media too. So the same five details belong on your Facebook page, Instagram, TikTok and any listing you post there.
A simple habit: put the five details in your profile bio, and add them to any post that promotes a property or your services. Then read PG 2/2011 for the full wording.
If you run Google or Facebook ads, the page the ad opens is still a web page, and PG 2/2011 covers websites. So treat a landing page like any other page on your site. Same five details. Same honest claims. Same owner consent for any listing on it.