About this form
Form 2 is the buyer-side counterpart to Form 1: the prescribed agreement between a prospective buyer of residential property and the estate agent they appoint to act for them. It is non-exclusive, so the buyer remains free to work with other agencies and to approach sellers directly.
When you need it
- A buyer asks you to source residential property for them and has not committed to working with you alone.
- You are introducing properties to a buyer who is also being shown properties by other agencies.
- A buyer wants representation for a specific search but not an ongoing exclusive mandate.
How to complete it
- Record the buyer’s particulars from their identification document.
- Describe the search brief with enough specificity to be meaningful — property type, general location, budget range. A brief of “residential property in Singapore” makes the commission trigger hard to apply.
- State the commission, its basis, and the event that triggers it. On the buyer side this is usually tied to a successful acquisition, and the definition of that event matters.
- Set the appointment period.
- Complete the salesperson’s own CEA registration number, not the agency licence number.
- Sign before you start introducing properties, and give the buyer a copy.
Common mistakes
- Acting for both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction. Dual representation is not permitted, and no form cures it.
- Leaving the search brief so broad that any subsequent purchase appears to trigger commission.
- Introducing properties first and papering the appointment afterwards.
- Confusing this with Form 6, which is the exclusive version.
Legal basis
Prescribed under the Estate Agents (Estate Agency Work) Regulations. CEA publishes the current forms and accompanying guidance. Read the issuer’s guidance.
Questions
- What is the difference between Form 2 and Form 6?
- Form 6 is the exclusive version of the same appointment. Under Form 2 the buyer may work with other agencies; under Form 6 they agree to work with one for the agreed period.
- Can I act for the buyer and the seller in one transaction?
- No. Acting for both sides of the same transaction is prohibited, and it is not something the parties can consent their way around. If you hold both mandates, one has to be released.
- Does the buyer pay commission if they buy through another agency?
- That turns on how the commission trigger is drafted in the agreement you signed. It is a question about your specific form, not one with a universal answer — which is why the trigger should be stated clearly at the outset.