Learn RES Concepts
Bite-sized explainers for the Singapore RES exam — one key concept, the trap people fall for, and the takeaway you need on exam day. They follow the study plan, day by day. No fluff, just the idea.
Following along day by day? See the full 4-week study plan for the July papers.Study plan →Week 1 — Paper 1: Law Foundations
Paper 1 · Land Law · 8 min
Freehold vs 99-Year Leasehold in Singapore
What freehold and 99-year leasehold really mean for price, CPF usage, home loans and resale value in Singapore — and the lease-decay trap the RES exam loves to test.
Paper 1 · Land Law · 7 min
Joint Tenancy vs Tenancy-in-Common (Singapore)
The two ways to co-own property in Singapore — joint tenancy and tenancy-in-common — how survivorship works, and the inheritance trap that catches RES candidates.
Paper 1 · Contract & Agency Law · 8 min
Contract & Agency Law for the RES Exam
The contract and agency-law essentials every RES candidate needs — the elements of a valid contract, an agent's authority and fiduciary duties, and the misrepresentation trap.
Paper 1 · Planning & Development · 7 min
Planning & Development Control in Singapore (URA, Zoning, GFA)
How land use is controlled in Singapore — the URA Master Plan, zoning, plot ratio and gross floor area — and the plot-ratio-versus-GFA trap that trips up RES candidates.
Paper 1 · Tenancy, Torts & Mortgage · 9 min
Lease vs Licence in Singapore (and a Mortgagee's Power of Sale)
What separates a lease from a licence in Singapore — exclusive possession — plus how a mortgagee's power of sale works. Key Paper 1 concepts for the RES exam.
Week 2 — Paper 2: CEA Rulebook & HDB
Paper 2 · Regulation & the CEA Framework · 6 min
Estate Agent Licensing vs Salesperson Registration (CEA)
How the Estate Agents Act and CEA framework work — why agencies are licensed but salespersons are registered, the role of the KEO, and the licensing-versus-registration trap.
Paper 2 · Ethics & Professional Conduct · 4 min
The CEA Code of Ethics & Professional Client Care
The core duties in the CEA Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care every Singapore property agent must follow — and the mandatory-versus-best-practice trap on the RES exam.
Paper 2 · Ethics & Professional Conduct · 4 min
Dual Representation & Conflict of Interest (RES)
Why a property agent can't represent both sides of the same deal in Singapore, how conflict-of-interest rules work under the CEA framework, and the disclosure trap on the RES exam.
Paper 2 · AML / CFT · 6 min
AML/CFT for Property Agents: CDD, Source of Funds & STR
Anti-money-laundering duties for Singapore property agents — customer due diligence (CDD), identifying the beneficial owner, source of funds and filing a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR). A key RES Paper 2 topic.
Paper 2 · HDB Policies · 4 min
HDB Eligibility Schemes Explained (Family, Fiancé, Single)
How you qualify to buy an HDB flat in Singapore — the Public/Family, Fiancé/Fiancée and Single Singapore Citizen schemes, citizenship and income rules, and the single-buyer trap.
Paper 2 · HDB Policies · 4 min
HDB Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) Explained
What the HDB Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) is, how the 5 years are counted, what you can and can't do during it — and the renting and renovation traps RES candidates miss.
Paper 2 · HDB Policies · 4 min
HDB Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) & SPR Quota
How the HDB Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) and SPR quota work, why an eligible buyer can still be blocked from a resale flat, and how this appears in the RES exam.
Paper 2 · HDB Policies · 5 min
CPF Housing Grants & the HDB Resale Process
How CPF housing grants and the HDB resale process work in Singapore — first-timer eligibility, the resale portal flow, and how the HDB option to purchase differs from a private OTP.
Week 3 — Paper 2: Transactions & Money
Paper 2 · Private Property Sale · 4 min
The Option to Purchase (OTP) Explained — Singapore
How the Option to Purchase works for a private property sale in Singapore — the option fee, the option period, exercising the option — and the deposit-forfeiture trap on the RES exam.
Paper 2 · Financing · 5 min
Property Financing in Singapore: LTV, TDSR & MSR
How Singapore property loans are capped — Loan-to-Value (LTV), the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) and the Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR) — and the trap of applying MSR to private property.
Paper 2 · Taxes & Duties · 5 min
Stamp Duties Explained: BSD, ABSD & SSD (Singapore, 2026)
A plain-English guide to Singapore's three property stamp duties in 2026 — Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD), Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) and the 4-year Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) — with current rates and the traps the RES exam sets.
Paper 2 · Taxes & Leasing · 4 min
Property Tax, GST & Tenancy Stamp Duty (Singapore)
How property tax, GST and tenancy stamp duty work in Singapore — owner-occupier versus investment rates, when GST applies, and how tenancy stamp duty is computed for the RES exam.
Paper 2 · Marketing & Advertising · 4 min
Property Marketing: Listings & Advertising Rules (Singapore)
How property marketing is regulated in Singapore — exclusive versus open listings, CEA advertising requirements, and co-broking disclosure — plus the misleading-advertisement trap.