Sellers welcome option to market resale flats on HDB portal by themselves

They can market their unit at their own pace and save on property agent fees

Two months after appointing a property agent to advertise her Punggol flat while she searched for a new home, senior manager Jessica Chai thought of trying her hand at marketing her unit herself, as she was not in a rush to sell.

"Sometimes, the agent will rush me when he receives an offer for my flat. Perhaps he wants to close the deal quicker, but I haven't found my dream home yet and it can be quite pressurising," said the 40-year-old.

She eventually listed the fourroom flat on property platform Ohmyhome, which lets home owners do so themselves at no charge. At present, only real estate agents can put up listings on major property portals such as PropertyGuru and 99.co, which come with fees.

From May 13, both home owners and agents can list HDB flats for sale on the HDB Flat Portal. The service is currently free.

Ms Chai said she plans to list her unit and look for her next home on the portal without the help of her agent.

"I would be able to market my unit at my own pace while saving on agent fees," she added.

HDB resale sellers typically pay 2 per cent of the sale price to their agent, while buyers pay a 1 per cent commission.

HDB said that to ensure genuine listings, sellers must have an intent to sell registered to list their homes. Buyers will need an HDB

Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter which indicates their eligibility to buy a flat, receive grants and financing options to schedule viewings with sellers.