A former judge will run the body that polices your property agent
Vincent Hoong takes over the Council for Estate Agencies on 1 Nov 2026, and the new council has four people from the law and only one from a property agency.
The agent regulator's new council leans on the law, not the trade
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has 14 seats from 1 Nov 2026. Four go to people from the law and one goes to an executive at a property agency. The new President, Vincent Hoong, is a former Presiding Judge of the State Courts. If you are buying or selling through an agent, these are the people who set and enforce the rules your agent works under.
A new President and six new faces, starting 1 Nov 2026
Quek See Tiat steps down on 31 Oct 2026. He became Deputy President on 1 Aug 2015 and President on 22 Oct 2016. Deputy President Vincent Hoong moves up to replace him. The new council serves from 1 Nov 2026 to 31 Oct 2028.
Select a column heading to sort.
President
Vincent Hoong
Former Presiding Judge of the State Courts; CEA Deputy President since 1 Jan 2026
Deputy President (new)
Richard Hoo
Deputy CEO, Urban Redevelopment Authority
Member (new)
Michael Chia
Founder and Managing Director, MSC Law Corporation
Member (new)
Chua Shun Loong
Assistant Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority
Member (new)
Foo Tuat Yien
Senior Counsel and Senior Mediator, Singapore Mediation Centre
Published by haio Research on haio.sg — Singapore property analysis built on official URA, HDB and data.gov.sg records.
Read this article with its live charts at https://haio.sg/news/a-former-judge-now-runs-the-body-that-polices-your-property-agent/
Member (new)
Khew Sin Khoon
Emeritus Advisor, CPG Corporation
Member (new)
Tan Bee Nah
Audit Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore
Seven members stay on, including CEA's own executive director, HDB's Deputy CEO (Estate) and the executive director of the Consumers Association of Singapore. Three other members leave: officials from the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry and URA, and Dr Tan Tee Khoon, co-founder of PropertyDoctors.
What the new President means for your agent's rules
A new President doesn't rewrite your agent's obligations. Two changes from Quek's time still matter most if you're hiring an agent today.
First, the 2026 Currency Requirement. To renew their registration, an agent must close at least three transactions in each three-year registration period or pass a Refresher Examination. So an agent renewing under the new rule must either have done recent deals or have passed the exam. Ask which one applies before you sign.
Second, the 2020 amendments to the Estate Agents Act raised financial penalties for serious disciplinary breaches. With those penalties already in place, a President with a judge's background could lean on enforcement more than on new rules.
Hoong also knows the paperwork side of property. He ran the Singapore Land Registry from 1997 to 2001 and was SLA chief executive from 2009 to 2015. During his tenure at the SLA, he was also Registrar of Titles & Deeds, Controller of Residential Property and Commissioner of Lands.
Count the seats: lawyers and officials, one agency executive
The annex lists the day job of every member besides the President. Grouped by background, here is the full council:
Select a column heading to sort.
Law
4
Hoong, Chia, Foo, Yashodhara
Government agencies
4
Hoo (URA), Seow (HDB), Chua (EMA), Chan (CEA)
Accounting
2
Tan Bee Nah, Woo Shea Leen
Property agency
1
Wang Teck Hong (LandPLUS)
Consumer advocacy
1
Dexter Tay (CASE)
Academia
1
Koh Choon Fah (NUS)
Architecture
1
Khew Sin Khoon (CPG)
The industry the council regulates has one seat in 14. The two biggest groups, law and government, each have four. A Senior Counsel who is also a senior mediator has joined. Together with a former judge as President, that points to a council likely to put weight on disputes and discipline.
haio's take
For home buyers and sellers, this is a good line-up. The people overseeing agents are mostly lawyers, auditors and officials, and only one of them works at a property agency. Agents may find the next two years less comfortable. Still, no council will check your agent for you. Ask about the Currency Requirement, read what you sign, and know your home's value before anyone quotes you a price.
Source: Ministry of National Development and Council for Estate Agencies joint release, 30 Oct 2026.
Estimate only, not financial advice. A model-generated guide from public data, not a formal valuation; actual prices and bank valuations may differ, so verify before acting. haio accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on it.
