Over 12,500 HDB Flats Listed on the Resale Flat Listing Service: Should You Sell Your Home on Your Own?

The Resale Flat Listing (RFL) service sits on the HDB Flat Portal. Owners can list and market their flats on their own or through an appointed real estate salesperson. To keep listings genuine, sellers must first register an intent to sell, and each seller can have only one listing for the same flat. Buyers must hold a valid HDB Flat Eligibility letter before they can see sellers’ contact details or book a viewing.

When a listing is created, recent transacted prices of nearby flats are shown to help the seller set an asking price, and guides and videos walk both sides through each step. According to HDB, more than 60% of the flats listed went on to complete a resale transaction.

The writer argues that the main attraction is saving on commission. At a 2% rate, the commission on a S$1.5 million HDB flat is about S$30,000, and on a S$2.5 million private home about S$50,000. Owners also gain more direct control over information and negotiation. With residents better educated and reliable price data widely available, more owners may feel confident to sell without help.

The piece suggests URA could launch a similar platform for private resale homes, which made up nearly two-thirds of the 10,839 private homes sold in the first nine months of this year.

The same commentary notes that many sellers will continue to appoint a real estate salesperson. Some are not confident marketing a high-value home and fear a costly mistake; others are short of time; and homes that are harder to sell often need wider marketing and stronger negotiation. Developers are also expected to keep relying on large sales teams for new launches.

Standards for the profession are rising. From 2027, salespersons must complete at least three transactions over three years, or pass a refresher examination, to renew their registration. The writer expects fewer but more productive salespersons, supported by technology and data.