HDB agent fees and commission for selling your flat: 2%, 1%, or a fixed fee

The short answer

HDB sellers are most often quoted a percentage of the sale price, commonly around 2%, plus GST. Some agencies advertise a lower percentage, often 1%. A growing number, Fairnest included, charge a fixed dollar fee instead. HDB buyers who engage their own agent are commonly quoted around 1%. All of it is negotiable, all of it is normally payable only on completion, and GST at the current 9% rate is added where the agency is GST-registered.

Model 1: percentage commission

The traditional model. The fee is a percentage of the final sale price, so it rises with the value of your flat. The usual argument for it is alignment: the agent earns more if you sell for more. In practice the difference is small. On a 2% fee, negotiating an extra S$10,000 for you earns the agency S$200, which is rarely the thing that decides how hard anyone works.

Model 2: discounted percentage

Usually 1%, sometimes with a minimum fee. It halves the cost against 2% but keeps the link to your sale price, so owners of larger or better-located flats still pay more for the same work. Check the minimum: a 1% fee with a S$5,000 floor is not 1% on a S$350,000 flat.

Model 3: fixed fee

A set dollar amount regardless of sale price. Fairnest's HDB seller package is S$2,178.91 incl. GST, payable on completion. Fixed-fee agents keep the price down in different ways, so read what is included. Ours is owner-hosted viewings: you show the flat, and we do pricing, photos, portal listings, enquiry screening, negotiation, the Option to Purchase and the HDB Resale Portal paperwork. If you would rather not host, our full-service option is 1% of the sale price plus GST, and we host every viewing.

The three models on the same flats

Illustrative figures including 9% GST. Your quote may differ; fees are negotiable.

The gap widens with price because only the percentage columns move. On a modest flat the difference between 1% and a fixed fee is a couple of thousand dollars; on a larger flat it is several times that.

Commission for selling an HDB flat, by flat type

Real prices rather than round numbers. The typical median below is the middle value of the town medians for that flat type over the last 12 months of HDB resale registrations, from the same dataset as our town price pages. Your flat's own recent sales matter more than any of these.

Town changes the number again. The busiest town-and-type markets, with the 2% commission on each median, are linked below; every town page shows the same comparison on its own figures.

What about the buyer's side?

On an HDB resale each side usually pays its own agent, and a buyer is commonly quoted around 1%. On private resale and new launches the seller or developer normally pays. One agent cannot act for both sides; CEA prohibits dual representation. Fairnest's HDB buyer package is a fixed fee too. The buyer fee guide has the worked examples.

Questions to ask any agent before you sign

Ask every agent the same questions: the fee in dollars including GST, when it is payable, who hosts viewings, what the marketing includes, whether the agreement is exclusive, and what you pay if you stop. Our guide to what fixed-fee packages include lists each question with why it matters.

Turn each quote into one written comparison

Record the same items for every quote: total fee including GST, minimum fee, work included, who hosts viewings, any separate marketing charges, and the payment or cancellation terms. A lower headline rate is not enough if the service scope differs. Keep the signed agreement with the quotation rather than relying on a chat message alone.

When a percentage fee can still make sense

If you cannot or do not want to host viewings, a full-service percentage package may suit you better than an owner-hosted fixed fee. Ours is 1% of the sale price plus GST, with every viewing hosted for you. The same goes for unusual sales, such as a flat with a complex ownership history, where you want one person handling every conversation. The point is not that one model is always right. It is that you should know the dollar figure for each before choosing. Our DIY, fixed fee, or 2% guide compares who does the work on each path.

Common questions

Sources

• CEA: consumer guidance on engaging a property agent
• HDB resale flat prices (data.gov.sg), the source of the medians above
• CEA: check if your property agent is registered
• HDB: Option to Purchase when selling a flat

More 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
• 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
• Selling pathsDIY, fixed fee, or 2% agent: which HDB selling path fits you
• 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