The Council for Estate Agencies is in talks with property agencies about VIP sales and priority bookings at new condo launches. It's not illegal — but it raises a fair question every buyer should understand before their next launch day.
Every new condo launch has a public booking day — the date splashed across ads and WhatsApp broadcasts, when the showflat opens and buyers queue for their shot at a unit. What most buyers don't see is that by the time they walk in, a meaningful slice of the project may already be sold.
The Straits Times reported this week that the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) is discussing VIP sales and priority booking practices with property agencies, following concerns that these arrangements — while legal — could leave regular buyers with fewer choices. Two of the top four agencies confirmed CEA had engaged them on the matter; PropNex and ERA said they were not among those approached.
The scrutiny traces back to a Business Times report from December 2025: between September 2024 and October 2025, property agents bought 635 units through priority queues — about 4.2% of all new private homes launched in that window. At some individual projects, the concentration was far higher. At Sim Lian's Emerald of Katong, agents bought 173 of 846 units, roughly 20% of the entire launch, before public sales began.
Worth noting: that 4.2% figure only counts agents buying through priority queues. It doesn't include the broader category of VIP sales to other selected buyers — relatives, business associates, or developers' own contacts — which the report itself flagged could push the real share of early-stage sales meaningfully higher.
How VIP sales actually work: Selected buyers get to book units before the official public booking day. When public booking opens, a sales board simply shows which units were already sold in earlier phases and which remain — buyers only discover what's left on the day itself.
CEA's own position, given in response to queries, is direct: priority access is a private commercial decision by developers, can involve buyers beyond just agents, and doesn't breach any existing rule. PropNex's chief agency officer echoed this, describing agent priority access as a market-wide practice that depends entirely on each developer's discretion — and noted developers generally keep a spread of units, including lower-priced ones, available for the public launch.
But an agent familiar with new launches, speaking anonymously, offered a more candid take: some developers are "very relaxed" about who lands on the VIP list, and when that list runs long, regular buyers only find out on booking day that the units they wanted are already gone.
"Sometimes the VIP list can be very long. To me, it's unfair to the regular buyers."
Huttons' CEO framed the CEA engagement as an opportunity to discuss transparency and professionalism industry-wide, with a commitment to keep reviewing policies as regulations and expectations evolve. OrangeTee's chief agency officer said discussions centred on making sure agents "strictly adhere to disclosure protocols" — which points to where the real safeguard actually sits: not whether priority sales happen, but whether they happen with proper disclosure.
If you're planning to attend a new launch, the practical takeaway isn't outrage — it's calibration. Assume that by the time you walk in on public booking day, some units are already gone, possibly including some of the better-positioned or lower-priced stacks. That's not a conspiracy; it's simply how the current system operates, and CEA has confirmed it's within the rules.
What you can actually do about it: go in with a clear list of acceptable alternatives, not just one dream unit. Ask your agent directly whether they or their colleagues hold any units in the project — full disclosure should mean they tell you, not that you have to ask. And where possible, get on a developer's own priority or VIP list yourself; if the option exists for agents and their contacts, in many cases it's also open to genuine interested buyers who register early.
I'll be straightforward: priority access for agents is a long-standing industry norm, and I don't think it disappears because of one round of scrutiny. What actually matters to you as a buyer is disclosure — knowing upfront whether your agent has skin in the game on a specific project, and knowing that the unit you want might already be gone before you even walk through the door.
My approach with clients has always been the same regardless of what CEA does or doesn't formalise: full transparency on any interest I or my colleagues have in a project, and going in with a realistic shortlist rather than a single must-have unit. If you're eyeing an upcoming launch, happy to walk you through what's actually likely to be available by the time public booking opens.
Thinking about a new launch and want the full picture before booking day? Let's talk through what's realistic.
WhatsApp Bryan → See H2 2026 launches →Sources: The Straits Times, 5 July 2026, "VIP sales at condo launches under scrutiny after agents get first dibs" by Joyce Lim. Additional data: The Business Times, December 2025. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
No pressure, no obligation. Tell me what you're working through and I'll get back to you within 24 hours to arrange a time that works.
Your details are used solely to follow up on your consultation request. No spam, ever.