Notes for the RES examination

I’m bringing over the notes I made whilst studying for the Real Estate Salesperson (RES) examination. Paper 1 first, which includes part of Paper 2, and hopefully I can complete Paper 2 later.

I passed Paper 2 on 18 September 2020, and Paper 1 on 20 August 2022. Two tries over two years. (Yeah, I took the very last exam possible for the validity of my course certificate.)

This entry will function as a content page, and I’ll link the posts here as I publish them.

Basics

Property Basics — good class bungalow, detached/bungalow, semi-detached, terrace, strata landed, non-landed, commercial/industrial.

Paper 1

1. Land Law
   • rights, interests, fixtures, fittings, lots, maps, tenure and estate, strata titles, state lands, licence, easement, covenant, land registration.
   • the right to use and keep others away.

2. Contract Law
   • offers, OTP as a contract, terms, conditions, warranties, representation, vitiating factors, contract discharge or void(able), remedies for breach, contract clauses.
   • an agreement that becomes legal.

3. Agency Law
   • agency creation, agent’s authority, agent duties and rights, breach and termination.
   • a relationship of three for two.

4. Landlord and Tenant Law
   • types of lease, terms in lease, covenants and rights, termination, rent non-payment relief, waste, assignment, novation, privity of contract and estate.
   • exclusive possession for rent.

5. Negligence
   • duty of care, neighbour principle, standard of care, contributory negligence, volenti non fit injuria, illegality.
   • a tort, a wrong, a breach of duty that causes harm.

6. Conveyance Inter Vivos
   • buying, selling, gifts, trusts.
   • the transfer of property while still alive.

7. Mortgage
   • legal mortgage, equitable mortgage, priority of payment, rights, types of mortgages.
   • pledging interest for a loan.

8. Gift, Trust, Succession, Future Interest
   • lifetime or testamentary gifts, trust by express intention, will, law or in REITS, wills, intestate succession, future and reversionary interest.
   • your property but also not really.

9. Property Ownership (or Not)
   • joint tenancy, tenancy-in-common, adults vs minors, lasting power of attorney, mentally disordered persons, partnerships, companies, societies, foreign ownership.
   • the how and who.

10. Land Planning and Development
    • concept and master plan, planning regions, zones, plot ratio, landed plot size, dwelling unit cap, conservation properties, commercial class uses, change of use, land betterment charge.
    • development limits and changes.

Paper 1 and 2

11. Sale of Uncompleted Private Properties
    • OTP, S&P, forfeit, licence, duties, advertisements, sub-sale, repudiation, progress payments, notice of vacant possession, TOP, breach remedies, residential vs commercial.
    • new launches.

12. Sale of Completed Private Properties
    • option money, OTP, Offer to Purchase, S&P, legal requisitions, legal completion, bankruptcy, management corporation, share value, subsidiary proprietor, management and sinking fund.
    • private resale.

13. Collective Sale of Private Properties
    • pro tem committee, requisition, quorum, EOGM, collective sale committee, legal completion, order of sales, majority consent, objections, allowable deductions.
    • en bloc.

14. Sale of HDB Flats
    • flat types, eligibility and priority schemes, eligibility and after-purchase conditions, selling and buying process, seller and buyer duties…
    • (remember to focus on what salespersons can[not] do).
      • [need to re-create the HDB timeline.]

15. Leasing of Private Properties
    • maximum occupants, verifying landlord and tenant identities, stamping, letter of intent, tenancy agreement.
    • renting commercial and private properties.

16. Subletting HDB Flats
    • subletting whole flat, non-citizen subletting quota, subtenants, rental period, subletting bedrooms.
    • did you know it’s only bedrooms?

17. Working at Home
    • Home Office Scheme, Home-Based Small-Scale Business Scheme, business types, no…, safety requirements.
    • working from home permanently.

18. Foreign Worker Housing
    • purpose-built dormitories, converted industrial premises, quarters on construction sites, temporary workers quarters on temporary occupation licence sites, workers quarters at farms, harbourcrafts.
    • homes away from home.

19. Taxes on Property
    • buyer’s, additional buyer’s, seller, tenancy agreement, mortgage stamp duty; property, goods and services, income tax.
    • one half of the constant things in life.

20. Calculating Property Finances
    • grants, resale levy, enhanced contra facility, HDB Housing Loan, CPF, bank loans, Mortgage Servicing Ratio, Total Debt Servicing Ratio, Income-weighted average age.
    • $

Phew! Hopefully more to come soon.

❤️🌧️

Image of an open notebook, the bookmark ribbon curled into a heart, by StockSnap from Pixabay.