Singapore’s second-largest property & agency is gunning to increase its salesforce this year. Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, unveiled the “ERA +1 initiative” at the group’s annual business conference on March 24. The campaign aims to encourage ERA Singapore’s more than 8,000 agents to recruit one newcomer each this year. 

“Not 10, not 20, just one — one more person, one more life changed [and] one more income stream,” says Chu. “If every one of you brings just one person, this room doubles, this business multiplies and your income transforms.”

ERA tells City & Country that the ERA +1 is “not a mass recruitment drive”. “By focusing on ‘+1’, the initiative reinforces the idea of personal accountability, where each advisor brings in someone they believe in and is willing to guide.”

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This strengthens the overall calibre of the network, adds the agency, as new entrants are “supported from day one”.

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Chu, who is also head of ERA Asia Pacific and Mainboard-listed APAC Realty, has focused on removing “inactive agents” from ERA’s salesforce. ERA Singapore stopped subsidising annual Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) licence renewal fees for its agents at the start of 2025. As at Jan 1, ERA Singapore has 8,427 salespersons, down from 8,828 at Feb 26, 2025. 

Speaking at the ERA Asia Pacific Business Conference 2026 (APBC 2026), Chu says one in four agents in Singapore today is from ERA, and one in every three home transactions here is brokered by the group. “Our per capita income from active agents grew by 23% [y-o-y], from $93,000 per agent in 2024 to $150,000 per agent in 2025.”

Last year, more than half (54%) of existing agents who joined ERA came from rival firm PropNex, while 17% came from Huttons Asia, according to slides shown during Chu’s presentation. A fifth (20%) of existing agents came from undisclosed “other” firms, while 5% and 4% came from OrangeTee and Singapore Realtors Inc. (SRI) respectively. 

During his presentation, Chu also welcomed the Rayne Chua Division into ERA’s fold. Chua left Keller Williams (KW) Singapore in February to join ERA with some 80 agents under her. City & Country understands the former top earner at PropNex has added nearly 20 agents to her division since joining ERA.

Strong pipeline in OCR

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Looking ahead, ERA anticipates “ongoing opportunities” in the residential market, backed by a “strong pipeline” of new launches. 

Inclusive of executive condominiums (ECs), approximately 17 upcoming projects with over 8,500 units are expected to enter the market this year.

Of this figure, 12 upcoming projects with 6,284 units are located in the Outside Central Region (OCR) — a “considerable” portion that will cater to mass-market demand and HDB upgraders, says ERA.  

By number of units, the largest upcoming project will be located at the Chuan Grove Government Land Sales (GLS) site, with 1,055 units. “This pipeline is expected to sustain transaction activity and create opportunities across various market segments, even though some buyers are selective and price-sensitive,” adds the agency. 

According to ERA, underlying housing demand remains strong, fuelled by population growth and an increasing number of naturalised citizens entering the housing market. “In today’s uncertain world, real assets [like] property continue to provide stability and long-term value. In uncertain times, real assets anchor real futures,” says Chu.

ERA45

Chu also launched at APBC 2026 the “Road to ERA45” — a year-long series of events leading up to the group’s 45th anniversary in 2027.

Throughout this year, ERA will roll out a series of initiatives aimed at elevating its brand presence, strengthening community engagement and recognising the achievements of its advisers.

According to Chu, ERA will allocate $1.1 million to support its agent force on recruitment, retention and training this year.