MediSave for property agents: why you pay it yourself
Singapore property salespersons are self-employed commission earners, not employees of their agency. There is no base salary and no employer CPF. What you owe instead is MediSave on your net trade income, and it is easy to find out about in April, after the money is spent.
Net trade income, not salary
Your commissions minus your allowable business expenses is your net trade income (NTI). You declare it to IRAS when you file, and CPF Board works out your MediSave contribution from that and sends the notice.
MediSave becomes compulsory once your NTI is above S$6,000 for the year. The rate depends on your age and your NTI, so check CPF's current table for your own figure rather than a colleague's.
Not the employee CPF rate
The 37% figure people quote (17% from the employer, 20% from the employee) is for employees, and it is split across three accounts. It is not a MediSave figure and it is not what a self-employed agent pays. Applying it to commission income overstates what you owe several times over.
Why CEA cares
CEA expects registered salespersons to be up to date on MediSave under the CPF Self-Employed Scheme, either paid or on an active GIRO plan. Falling behind can hold up a registration or its renewal.
Where Propoa comes in
Propoa's Money tab sets a share of each commission aside for tax as it lands, so April is not a surprise. It is an estimate: IRAS and CPF have the final figures.
Propoa is a client and deal app for CEA-registered agents in Singapore. Get the app, 14 days free.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 7 August 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice: the authorities above have the final word, and rules change. Propoa is a software company, not a law firm, tax adviser or estate agency.