Passed Your RES Exams? Which Property Agency Should You Join?
- Stuart Chng
- Dec 16, 2025
- 8 min read
Now that you've passed your RES exams, which agency should you join?
So you've passed your RES exams, WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS!
I'm sure it wasn't easy since the benchmark for passing is significantly higher these days. You deserve a pat on the back for your hard work and commitment!
The next logical step is to select an estate agency to join and while companies differ in many ways, each has a list of pros and cons for you to critically examine.
The latest numbers (in the red box) show that the top 5 real estate agencies continue to be Huttons Asia, OrangeTee & Tie, ERA, Propnex and SRI. (Data sourced from CEA)
As a new agent, it may be tough to discern the differneces between agencies and whether it is a simple case of "the bigger the better". Doing research on each estate agency can be incredibly tedious and painstaking.
New agents are always raring to go out of the gate but lack the experience to differentiate the "REALLY IMPORTANT" platforms versus the "good to have but unimportant" ones that each agency tries to champion.
Having been in the industry for more than 17 years, I can quickly identify what really counts and the right real estate agency to join. In essence, who I choose to associate myself with.
Like many, I started my career with the notion that a big local brand or MNC real estate consultancy brand is important because of brand recall/recognition.
This may be true, initially... but years have taught me that the agency's branding is never as important as the person that you are and the value you bring.
They say youth is wasted on the young, and if I could start over again knowing what I know today, I'd be guided by these 4 key points that I hope will help you in your decision making.
1. The quality of people you work with
I realised rather quickly (less than a year) that customers are a lot less concerned about the agency I was with and hardly addressed it, more importantly, the agency and agency branding was never the reason whether I was able secured an exclusive listing or not.
Fast forward 9 years from the day I started my real estate career, I discovered that what I needed was in fact great quality people around me in order to succeed.
People who were either better than me or had their own unique strengths had the potential to inspire me to greater heights.
It become clear to me that agency notoriety was merely a shelter that I didn't particularly need.
I am the brand. The people I choose to associate with are the brand - a Living Breathing Brand.
Clients stick to us for who we are and generally don't bother about which agencies we are from.
Now, by great quality of people, I don't just mean great sales but great attitude — helpful and encouraging personalities and people who uphold good values and strong ethics.
I'm taking about people who will be there for you in good times and bad; people who are genuine and celebrate your successes wholeheartedly as if it were theirs.
People who lift you up by challenging you with encouragement, not pull you down with their own insecurities.
It is important to pause here and be very aware that trying to find a mentor with alot of experience/top in sales does not guarantee quality mentorship. I've seen many make the mistake of thinking this and make little to no meaningful progress.
So what am I trying to say here? Be very aware of who you will be working with.
It is always worth spending a bit of time to get to know your potential mentor/s, meet future teammates and do your own background checks. Social media is a good starting point but it's definitely not enough for an accurate representation of reality.
Tip 1: It is important to observe whether your would-be mentor is willing allocate their time and attention to you, as this will clearly indicate their presence in your journey – physically and mentally.
Real estate leaders juggling sales and leadership constantly have to struggle between allocating their time to either pursuit and some tell-tale signs are that he/she frequently checks their phones (or picks up calls) throughout your sessions together.
Tip 2: Observe whether your would-be mentor spends adequate time getting to know you and prescribe a business plan for you instead of giving you a one-sized-fits-all template.
Template plans and strategies rarely work well for people as each person has unique strengths, weaknesses and inhibitions. It is paramount that mentors are able to identify them and provide bespoke mentorship for each individual.
I always practice what I preach and this approach served me well in understanding my team better, communicating efficiently and effectively with them, leading to optimum levels of sales and growth.
Tip 3: Look past the bling and do not be awed by material displays.
Ostentatious displays of material wealth is commonplace in the real estate industry; whether it is purely a matter of character, preference or strategic — as a way of positioning oneself.
While people passionate about labels and brands exist, there are some who aim to incite awe and envy because it is much easier (and quicker) to attract with spectacle rather than substance.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to take time, do your homework and to know your potential mentors well to avoid being distracted and mesmerised by the gimmick of glamour and spectacle.
Wisdom is spending more time researching now so you won't have to pay for it in multiple-folds later. As the adage goes, "measure twice, cut once."
Even the savvy get taken advantage of and I have seen agents getting the shorter end of the stick, unaware of what is normal and not, burdened by routine tasks for their mentor/seniors without knowing their rights or even paying for stuff that should be free.
In one of the worst cases (that I came to know about), a poor agent was used by his mentor for a year and eventually dropped out as he wasn't able to make a single dollar the entire time.
It is also not uncommon to know of agents misled to engage in ethically questionable paths and "short-cuts" through the lure of easy and big money, throwing out massive commission kickbacks just to steal deals from other realtors or win awards, and eventually burn out from conflict with their values or having karma catch up with them.
Consequently, being with the right company of people is crucial to help you create an enjoyable career with longevity, to do well, and to do good.
2. Technology
In today's techno-forward landscape, real estate mobile apps and technology serve as crucial force multipliers, significantly enhancing your potential for success by increasing the volume of tasks you can accomplish daily.
Common challenges of agents are the repetitive prospecting, marketing and follow-up work that is laborious and time-consuming. These days, we incorporate advanced practical technology to help us automate and cope with lead-generation as well as tasks related to marketing.
Automation and working smart frees up time for what I like to call "higher value tasks" like face-time with clients or simply time with your family and loved ones. Efficient and effective management of tasks will make a life in real estate a lot more lucrative and enjoyable.
Now with that being said, you will quickly realise that almost every agencies will be quick to claim they have mobile apps or tools.
However, life experiences have taught us that there are serviceable apps and there are tested, proven and practical apps that will help you save time, effort and money.
Pro-tip: Never hesitate to ask for an in-depth demo of what the company app can do.
Have technology work for you and automate routine tasks to save time and energy. Work hard and work smart!
Huttons' has two proprietary mobile apps. One of which is called LinkUp;
Check out NAVIS technology in-depth here.
3. Training Programmes
Basic training is no longer enough as we are experiencing a younger generation of savvy DIY customers and fixed rate brokers have emerging.
Because the basics are, well, overly basic, advanced real estate training topics such as creative mortgage and financial strategies, property holding and structuring techniques and long term timeline + exit plans for investments are necessary for property agents to learn and internalise to remain valuable and relevant to consumers.
These skills enable agents to adopt investor-like sensibilities and construct proposals from scratch with maximum cost and tax savings.
We call this future-proofing our agents.
Advanced social media marketing and targeting strategies are also the name of the game nowadays as agents adopt "push marketing" to close listings quicker.
Make sure that the real estate team or agency you're considering joining offers resources such as lessons, scripts, and presentation materials that enable you to rapidly grasp and master these subjects, ultimately reducing the time it takes for you to become fully proficient.
If you can, also check to ensure that the syllabus' provided are updated and relevant.
Creative headlines and sensationalised marketing can easily obscure the actual quality of the training.
4. Projects (opportunities)
It is paramount that your agency has a large pipeline of major new project launches in Singapore as this would bring a breadth opportunities for your clients to explore.
Project sales typically pay higher commissions than the resale market (typically 2%) and sometimes can even go all the way up to a mouth -watering 10%.
Of course, there is always a catch to these really high commissions but I will not go into it in this article.
Also, appointed agencies for developers always have the upper hand in marketing and closing sales as they have access to first-hand information and pricing before everyone else.
Hence, prior to signing on the associate application form, always do your own checks and enter with your eyes peeled.
To summarise, if you are out looking for a good real estate agency to join, scrutinize and observe these 4 points to ensure you get the best possible start and support for your career:
1. People
2. Training
3. Technology
4. Projects (opportunities)
All the best and I bid you fair winds and following seas! = )
If you're looking for an in-depth side by side comparison of the compensation plans and career paths (From being a brand new agent to an experienced agent to a team leader) between the top property agencies, book an appointment with Stuart and his team leaders below.
Otherwise, if you're looking for great real estate career mentorship to shorten your learning curve, you may also do so!
Get a 1-time free 30 min career consultation with Stuart and his team leaders. Schedule one right now.
Drop me a WhatsApp/Email if you would like to start your career with our team or attend our next real estate recruitment seminar!
Did this article provide you with ideas or inspiration?
Like, comment below and share this with your friends who are embarking on a career in real estate sales!
Stuart Chng, Executive Group District Director at Huttons Asia Group, is a renowned leader and personality in the real estate industry.
He adores music and can play a few instruments decently without upsetting his neighbours. When not doing so, he enjoys pillow fighting with his son and coming up with silly puns which barely amuses his wife.
Professionally, he is a licensed real estate agent, an avid stocks, options and real estate investor, business owner, team leader, speaker and columnist for several property newsletters and blogs and is often quoted in media interviews on 938FM, Channel 8, PropertyReport, PropertyGuru and other publications.
Throughout his career, he has helped many clients grow their wealth through selecting great property investments and managing their portfolios actively. Read his clients' reviews here.
Stuart has also coached many top million dollar producing agents from different real estate agencies in Singapore. Read his agents' reviews here.
Relevant Readings:
- If you would like to find out more about the platforms that we have created for our people, you are welcome to drop me a message or check out our projects, training and technology tabs.
- Find out more about a Property Agent's Career Path.
- Passed your RES Exams? Find out what immediate steps to take next to quickly reach your goals!
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