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.
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 · 7 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)
A plain-English guide to the three property stamp duties in Singapore — Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD), Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) and Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) — 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.