{
  "id": 1192004,
  "title": "‘They don’t simply open doors and earn five figures’: How much do property agents really earn?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/they-dont-simply-open-doors-and-earn-five-figures-how-much-do",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-16T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/they-dont-simply-open-doors-and-earn-five-figures-how-much-do-property-agents-really-earn"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mervyn Ong, a 38-year-old property agent in Singapore, spent 15 years preparing for the Real Estate Salesperson (RES) examination to become a registered property agent. He now earns a gross commission of about $80,000 in his first year and over $200,000 by his third year. ERA Realty Network's data shows that the median gross commission earned by active agents in 2025 was $29,000, while the top 10% earned $341,000. However, these figures do not account for deductions such as co-broking expenses and taxes. PropNex Realty reported an average annual income of $86,500 for its active agents, but this figure may be skewed by high earners. Property agents often face unpredictable income flows and long wait times for payment after completing a deal.",
  "summary": "The Council for Estate Agencies will collect agents’ commission data monthly, starting from 2027.",
  "key_points": [
    "Mervyn Ong spent 15 years preparing for RES examination.",
    "Median gross commission in 2025 was $29,000 according to ERA Realty Network.",
    "Top 10% of agents earned $341,000, not accounting for deductions."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The income of property agents in Singapore varies widely, with top performers earning hundreds of thousands of dollars, but many facing unpredictable income flows and significant deductions.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}