DIY, fixed fee, or 2% agent: which HDB selling path fits you
Compare DIY, a fixed fee with you hosting viewings, and a percentage agent on who does the work and what you pay.
8 min read · Figures checked 26 September 2026 · By Michelle Lee Ling Ching, CEA R009798I
The three paths
HDB does not require an agent. You can sell the flat yourself, you can keep the viewings and pay a fixed fee for marketing and paperwork, or you can pay a percentage and have an agent host the viewings. Estate agency fees in Singapore are negotiable. CEA does not set commission amounts. Payment goes to the estate agent, for Fairnest that is ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd, not as cash to a salesperson. The estate agency agreement sets the binding terms.
Swipe to see all columns. Keyboard: focus this table and use the arrow keys.
| Point | DIY, no agent | Fixed fee, owner-hosted | Percentage full-service agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who hosts viewings | You | You | Usually the agent |
| Who lists on PropertyGuru, 99.co, and SRX | You. DIY portal access is limited next to agent accounts. | Fairnest | The agent |
| Who screens enquiries and negotiates | You | Fairnest | The agent |
| Who prepares the HDB-prescribed OTP and Resale Portal steps | You | Fairnest | The agent |
| Typical fee shape | Your time, plus any DIY listing costs | S$2,178.91 incl. GST. That is S$1,999 plus 9% GST, paid on completion. | Often quoted around 2% of the sale price plus GST. Negotiable, and not fixed by CEA. |
| Best fit | You already know the portals, the OTP, and the HDB Flat Portal. | You want agent reach and paperwork without paying for agent-hosted viewings. | You need someone else to show the flat and run the whole process. |
What DIY really costs you
You can sell an HDB flat without an agent. The costs are not only money. You write the listing, take the photos, chase enquiries, and keep the calendar. Consumer portals and HDB's Resale Flat Listing exist for DIY sellers. Agent-managed ads on PropertyGuru, 99.co, and SRX still carry a large share of serious traffic. DIY reach is real. It is rarely the same as an agent listing stack.
Sellers must use the HDB-prescribed Option to Purchase. Other sale agreements are not valid under the Housing and Development Act. You need a valid Intent to Sell, you wait out the 7-day cooling-off period before granting an OTP, and Intent must still be valid at OTP and at the resale application. Mistakes here delay or stop a deal. That is process diligence, not a scare line.
Negotiation is the other cost. When a buyer's agent is on the other side, you are negotiating alone against someone who does this every week. Some DIY sellers handle that well. Many prefer a licensed salesperson for the offer and the OTP. DIY fits owners who already understand Intent, then OTP, then Request for Value, then the resale application, and who accept thinner portal reach in exchange for no agency fee.
What a percentage agent buys you
A full-service percentage engagement usually means the agent hosts viewings, manages the calendar, and stays in the process from the first enquiry to the completion appointment. You trade fee size for time. At 2% plus 9% GST, the fee scales with price even when the listing and paperwork workload does not. On a S$600,000 flat, 2% plus GST is about S$13,080. On S$850,000 it is about S$18,530. Those figures are illustrative only. Other agencies quote differently, and fees are negotiable.
Choose this path when you cannot or will not host viewings. Travel, family circumstances, a safety preference, or simply wanting the agent at the door are all real reasons. It also fits when you want one person to own every appointment. Fairnest offers this too: full service at 1% of the sale price plus GST.
What Fairnest's fixed fee is for
Fairnest's HDB seller package is S$2,178.91 incl. GST, which is S$1,999 plus 9% GST. It is a marketing offer. You pay on successful completion. There is no upfront marketing deposit. If the sale does not complete, you do not pay that package fee. The estate agency agreement sets the binding terms.
The owner-hosted boundary is simple. You show the flat. Fairnest still prices the flat against nearby transactions, shoots the photos, writes the listing, and runs portal ads on PropertyGuru, 99.co, and SRX. Fairnest screens enquiries, helps schedule viewings, negotiates once an offer is serious, prepares the HDB-prescribed OTP, and drives HDB Flat Portal paperwork through to the completion appointment.
You keep the viewing hours. Fairnest keeps marketing, negotiation, and the HDB process.
What the fee gap looks like
Illustrative only; traditional fees vary and are negotiable. On a S$600,000 flat, 2% plus 9% GST is S$13,080.00. The fixed fee is S$2,178.91 incl. GST, a difference of S$10,901.09. The agent fees guide runs 2%, 1% and the fixed fee at four sale prices.
Which path costs least overall
On the fee alone, selling yourself costs least, because there is no agency fee. The full cost of a sale is wider than the fee: the hours you spend on enquiries and viewings, the price you agree, and the cost of a slipped deadline if the Option or the resale application goes wrong. A lower fee only saves money if the rest of the sale goes as well.
Among paths with an agent, a fixed fee costs less than a percentage once the flat sells above a modest price, because a percentage rises with the price and a fixed fee does not. What you give up for the lower fee is the agent at the door: you host the viewings. Compare written quotes on the same basis, including GST, before you decide.
When to choose each path
- Choose DIY if you will host, list, negotiate, and complete the HDB paperwork yourself, and you accept thinner portal reach for no agency fee.
- Choose Fairnest's fixed fee if you will host viewings, you want agent portals plus OTP and HDB handling, and you want a written dollar fee of S$2,178.91 incl. GST paid on completion, not a percentage that rises with price.
- Choose a percentage full-service package, such as ours at 1% + GST, if you need agent-hosted viewings and full calendar ownership, or if owner-hosted viewings do not fit your household.
The market and your decisions set the outcome. A listing is not a promise that the flat will sell, or of the price it will fetch.
Common questions
Yes. HDB does not require an agent. You still follow HDB rules: Intent to Sell, the prescribed OTP, eligibility, and the portal steps. Check the current guidance on HDB's selling process page.
Under Fairnest: pricing, photos, portal ads, enquiry screening, negotiation, the prescribed OTP, and HDB Resale Portal paperwork. You show the flat. The package is S$2,178.91 incl. GST, paid on completion.
In fees, yes: there is no agency fee. You take on the pricing, listing, enquiries, negotiation and HDB paperwork yourself, and any delay or weaker price is yours to absorb. Whether that is cheaper overall depends on your time and how comfortable you are with the process.
Not at every price. A percentage on a very low sale price can come close to a fixed fee. At typical HDB resale prices, 1% or 2% plus GST is several times a fixed fee. Check the fee in dollars, with GST, on your own expected price.
When you cannot host viewings, or you want the agent to own every appointment from the first enquiry to completion. The larger fee is then a trade for time and coverage.
It covers more process and portal reach than DIY, and less viewing labour than full service. The fee is S$2,178.91 incl. GST on completion, not a percentage that rises with the sale price.
Sources
- HDB: process for selling a flat
- HDB: Option to Purchase when selling a flat
- HDB: Intent to Sell
- CEA: what to take note of when engaging a property agent
Written by
Michelle Lee Ling Ching
Michelle Lee Ling Ching · CEA Registration Number: R009798I · ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd · CEA Licence Number: L3002382K · Tel: +65 9680 1106
We are a fixed-fee HDB agent, non-exclusive and paid on completion. See our HDB seller fee and what it covers.
Ask about sellingMore guides
- Start hereHow to sell your HDB flat: a seller’s planning guide
- Planning your next homeHDB resale levy: when it applies and what to budget
- Agent feesHDB agent fees and commission for selling your flat: 2%, 1%, or a fixed fee
- Selling costsHDB sale proceeds calculator and seller costs
- Selling processThe HDB resale timeline: from Intent to Sell to completion
- PricingCOV and HDB valuation: what the number means for sellers and buyers
- ViewingsOwner-hosted viewings: the checklist we give every seller
- BuyingCPF housing grants for HDB resale buyers: which ones exist and who qualifies
- Sell and buySelling and buying an HDB flat at the same time: how to line up the dates
- HougangHougang Central new launch: what Hougang upgraders should know before preview
- Option to PurchaseHDB Option to Purchase for sellers: fees, 21 days, and checks
- Agency agreementExclusive vs non-exclusive HDB agency agreement
- Intent to SellIntent to Sell on the HDB Flat Portal: the 7-day wait and RFL
- Buyer feesHDB buyer agent fees in Singapore: fixed fee or 1%
- PortalsListing your HDB on PropertyGuru, 99.co and SRX
- NegotiationNegotiating HDB offers when you host the viewings
- After the OptionWhat if the HDB sale falls through after the Option is granted?
- TrustHow Fairnest uses AI, and what we never automate
- Market reportHDB resale market, Q3 2026: prices flat, more flats sold
- Fixed-fee packagesWhat a fixed-fee HDB seller package includes, and what to check