PUBLISHED ONFebruary 16, 2026 9:35 AMBYDana LeongFrom April 1, property agents from the five biggest real estate agencies will be subject to stricter regulations when distributing flyers and face consequences for non-compliance.
The Singapore Institute of Estate Agents (SIEA) and five real estate agencies — PropNex, ERA, Huttons Asia, OrangeTee & Tie and SRI — signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Feb 13, agreeing to reinforce proper flyer distribution practices across HDB estates.
Under the new agreement, agents from these agencies will have to abide by a shared framework that requires all flyers and pamphlets to be properly distributed to homes and visible only to the intended recipient.
For instance, flyers can be distributed through mailboxes, SIEA said.
The participating agencies will keep SIEA informed on any complaints received from residents regarding errant property agents, and all records will be kept by SIEA.
"With SIEA serving as the industry's secretariat, we can ensure consistent monitoring, clearer enforcement and greater accountability across all participating agencies," said Eugene Lim, president of SIEA.
All five agencies will implement a standardised approach to handling breaches, with agents receiving a letter of caution for their first offence.
A second offence will result in another letter of caution, and mandatory participation in an SIEA course on ethical flier distribution.
For the third offence, they will be suspended from distributing fliers to HDB homes for six months, with continued escalation until a "two-year clean record" is achieved.
The five participating agencies have a total of of 32,271 property agents as at Jan 1, which represents 87.6 per cent of the agents in Singapore, according to the Council for Estate Agencies.
Lim Yong Hock, key executive officer of PropNex, said that flyer distribution is an essential tool for many agents due to its cost-effectiveness, but recognises the concerns from HDB residents regarding improper distribution.
"We are committed to working closely with SIEA to ensure our salespersons adhere to clear, responsible and well-defined processes when distributing flyers to homeowners," he said.
A 24-year-old retail associate who wished to be known as Lish told AsiaOne that she receives flyers at her HDB unit in Woodlands around once or twice a week.
The flyers are typically left outside her door or slotted through the gate, she said. Her family also has a box attached to their gate for such flyers.
"It's not significantly annoying, but it is a bit of a nuisance when the flyers are blown away and found on the floors," she said, adding that some property agents can be unrelenting and push flyers through other gates.
As such, flyers often come loose and get blown away onto the void deck, Lish said.
She welcomed the stricter regulations, saying that it would be a better initiative compared to the current distribution system.
Separately, a homemaker in her 50s, who wishes to remain anonymous, told AsiaOne that she receives around two flyers a week and even received up to seven flyers when her estate in Woodlands reached its minimum occupation period five years ago.
Before installing a designated holder at the gate for flyers, property agents would stick them through the grilles, causing flyers to stick out, and occasionally fall to the corridor.
Flyers would accumulate outside the unit and look even messier when she goes overseas, she said.
"I also worry that strangers who may have bad intentions can tell that our family is away because of the many flyers outside," she said, adding that SIEA's new regulations are "a good move that will make the general living environment feel cleaner".
Another Woodlands resident, known as Michael, said that requiring agents to distribute flyers via official channels will reduce the number of flyers strewn across the floors of common areas, and will help lessen the work for cleaners at HDB estates.
Additionally, he suggested that agents could rely less on flyers and turn to social media instead.
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