Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, ERA Asia Pacific and APAC Realty: In today’s uncertain world, real assets such as property continue to provide stability and long-term value (Picture: ERASingapore)
The year’s top-performing salespersons from ERA’s offices across the region were honoured at the ERA Asia Pacific Business Conference 2026 (APBC 2026). Held on March 24, the event also served as a platform to discuss emerging trends, opportunities and the future of real estate. Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport, was the guest of honour.
Speaking during the event, Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, ERA Asia Pacific and Apac Realty, highlighted the resiliency of the Singapore property market despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, supported by strong underlying demand and proactive government policies. “In today’s uncertain world, real assets such as property continue to provide stability and long-term value,” he said.
ERA is anticipating the residential market to remain active, backed by a strong pipeline of new launches. Approximately 8,500 units of new housing across 17 projects, including executive condos (ECs), are expected to enter the market this year.
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At APBC 2026, Chu also launched The Road to ERA45: a year-long series of events and initiatives leading up to ERA’s 45th anniversary next year. The initiatives will focus on elevating ERA’s brand presence, strengthening community engagement and recognising the achievements of its salespeople.
Attendees at the ERA Asia Pacific Business Conference 2026, with guest of honour Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport (Picture: ERA Singapore)
Minister Sun, who also spoke at the event, highlighted ERA’s contributions to the sector’s ongoing transformation. With over 8,000 property agents, ERA represents nearly a quarter of the market.
To that extent, Sun noted that the government, together with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), will continue to work closely with ERA to ensure that Singapore remains a trusted hub for property transactions.
Already, the partnership has demonstrated results. Sun cited the ongoing anti-money laundering (AML) efforts in the sector as an example. Noting that property agents had provided feedback on challenges in implementing new AML requirements, she said that measures had been undertaken to address the concerns. These include resources published by the CEA, such as a detailed set of commonly asked questions and a consumer’s guide to due diligence checks.
She also touched on recent efforts to tackle the improper distribution of property flyers in HDB estates. Earlier this year, ERA and the other four biggest real estate agencies signed an MOU with the Alliance for Action on Proper Flyer Distribution to HDB Homes, led by the Singapore Institute of Estate Agents (SIEA).
From April 1, a new protocol will require agents to ensure that any leaflets they distribute are placed in mailboxes, for instance, and are not visible to anyone other than the intended recipient. The participating agencies are required to inform SIEA of real estate salespersons who breach the new rules and receive complaints from residents.
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Meanwhile, Sun also spoke on expanding learning opportunities and raising industry professionalism. Under CEA’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework, real estate salespersons are required to attend approved training courses to retain their licence.
A revised framework, which began at the start of the year, requires property agents to go through 16 training hours per year, up from the previous requirement of six CPD credits annually. Of the 16 hours, four must be dedicated to training on essential topics such as the prevention of money laundering, proliferation financing and terrorism financing.
Sun added that CEA and industry stakeholders have also developed a Professional Development Reference Guide — a resource detailing the skills, competencies and expected proficiency levels required for different job roles in the real estate industry.
“I hope this conference will inspire the industry to take action through investments in technology, commitment to professional development and partnership with the government in raising industry standards,” the minister said.