In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Which rules apply to a new launch project website?
- 02What the project website must show (rule 3)
- 03What a project website must not say (rules 6 and 7)
- 04Agent-run 'official' sites and lookalikes
- 05Registration-of-interest forms and PDPA
- 06Speed and search for launch microsites
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Every ad for a licensed housing project, including its website, must show the developer's name and licence number, tenure and encumbrances, expected vacant possession date, expected date title passes, and location with lot number and Mukim or Town Subdivision, and must not mislead.
Which rules apply to a new launch project website?
URA's housing developers page explains that anyone developing a housing project with more than four units must comply with the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act and its Rules. Developers apply for a sale or no-sale licence through the One-Stop Developers' Portal before construction starts, use the prescribed Option to Purchase and Sale and Purchase Agreement, and build show units under the Housing Developers (Show Unit) Rules.
The Housing Developers Rules define 'advertisement' broadly: any form of representation used for advertising, marketing, publicity or announcement, published or transmitted in any form or medium, electronic or otherwise. A project microsite, a landing page for ads, a social media post and a WhatsApp brochure all qualify.
What the project website must show (rule 3)
Rule 3 lists the particulars every advertisement made by or on behalf of a licensed housing developer must include, other than radio and TV broadcasts.
| Mandatory particular | Where to place it on the website | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Developer's name and housing developer's licence number | Footer of every page and on the ROI form | Showing only the project brand or the JV marketing name |
| Tenure of the land and any encumbrances | Project details page and footer | Saying 'freehold' or '99-year' without encumbrances |
| Expected date of vacant possession | Project details page | Leaving an old date after a schedule change |
| Expected date legal title is conveyed to purchasers | Project details page | Omitted entirely |
| Location, including lot number and Mukim or Town Subdivision | Location page and footer | Showing only the street address and a map pin |
What a project website must not say (rules 6 and 7)
Rule 6 says a housing project ad must not contain anything suggesting the patronage of the President or the President's family, any connection with a government department, statutory body or public building or place, or any attribute the developer cannot genuinely claim. Rule 7 makes it an offence for any person to publish an ad that is false or misleading, leaves out the rule 3 particulars, or breaks rule 6.
Safer practice
- Label renderings as artist's impressions, subject to change
- Give walking times you have measured, and say how
- Name nearby schools and MRT stations factually, without implying affiliation
- Date every price list and availability chart
- Remove expired promotions the day they end
Risky content
- Implying a government body endorses or is linked to the project
- 'Minutes to MRT' figures based on future lines without saying so
- Floor plans or views that do not match the approved plans
- Prices or 'units left' that are out of date
- Copying another developer's images or claims
Artist's impression labels are not listed in rule 3, but an unlabelled rendering that differs from what is built can make an ad misleading under rule 7, so most developers label them.
Agent-run 'official' sites and lookalikes
Marketing agents and their salespersons commonly build their own sites for a launch. That is allowed, but they must follow CEA's rules on top of the Housing Developers Rules. CEA's Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising require agents marketing new projects to comply with URA's housing developer requirements and intellectual property law when using logos and images, and to show their own CEA details.
For projects not yet approved for sale, CEA's Practice Circular PC 04-13 says ads must not imply approval, must prominently say approval is pending, must not use words such as 'New Launch', 'Register for VVIP Preview', 'Sales Team' or 'Sales Hotline', and agents must not collect cheques or conduct sales.
The risk is real. In December 2022 The Straits Times reported that CEA was investigating websites promoting a supposed residential project at the redeveloped Golden Mile Complex, with purported artist's impressions and early-bird registration forms. The developers said they had not commissioned or authorised the sites or images, and the sites came down within days.
- For developers: publish one clearly official site, link it from your corporate site, and list your appointed marketing agencies so buyers can check.
- For agents: never call your site 'official' or 'the developer's site' without written authority, and show your own CEA particulars. Our property agent website guide and property agent ads guide cover the agent side.
Registration-of-interest forms and PDPA
ROI forms collect names, phone numbers, budgets and sometimes NRIC details from people who have not yet bought anything. Handle them as carefully as purchaser data.
Say who is collecting
The form should name the organisation collecting the data (developer or a named agency) and link its privacy notice.
Collect the minimum
Name, contact number, email and unit preference are usually enough at ROI stage. Leave NRIC collection to the booking stage, where it is needed.
Separate marketing consent
Use an unticked box for future marketing. Check the DNC Registry before marketing calls or texts unless consent is clear.
Control who sees the leads
Leads go to one system with named access, not to a shared inbox and a dozen personal WhatsApp chats.
Delete after the campaign
Set a retention period for ROI data from people who did not buy, and delete on schedule.
Do not take booking fees or cheques through an ROI form. The Rules set a booking fee of 5% to 10% of the purchase price for the option, paid through the formal sales process.
Speed and search for launch microsites
Launch traffic arrives in bursts from ads and news coverage, often on phones. Heavy video backgrounds, uncompressed renderings and large brochure downloads slow the site exactly when it matters.
Launch microsite checklist
Our Core Web Vitals guide explains how to test and fix speed.
Do it yourself or get help?
Your marketing and legal teams should own the content: dates, tenure and lot numbers come from the licence and approvals. The build is the easier part, but it needs to make the particulars impossible to miss and easy to update.
IT Sorted can build a campaign Landing Page (S$690) or a fuller Website Pro (S$2,990) with up to 12 pages, two languages and an enquiry form, using the particulars your team supplies. A Speed & SEO Fix (S$390) gets an existing launch site fast before ads go live. For typical budgets, see our website cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Rule 3 of the Housing Developers Rules requires the developer's name and licence number, the tenure of the land and any encumbrances, the expected date of vacant possession, the expected date legal title will be conveyed, and the project location including the lot number and Mukim or Town Subdivision.
Yes. The Housing Developers Rules define an advertisement as any representation used for advertising, marketing, publicity or announcement, in any form or medium, electronic or otherwise. Project websites, landing pages, social posts and digital brochures are covered.
Agents appointed to market a project often do, but they must follow CEA's advertising guidelines, comply with the housing developer rules when marketing new projects, respect intellectual property in logos and images, and show their CEA details. They should not present their site as the developer's official site without authority.
Under CEA's Practice Circular PC 04-13, agents may advertise only if the ad does not imply approval, prominently states that approval is pending, and avoids terms such as New Launch, VVIP Preview, Sales Team or Sales Hotline. No cheques may be collected and no sales conducted until approval is granted.
The Housing Developers Rules do not list a specific disclaimer, but rule 7 prohibits false or misleading advertisements. Labelling renderings as artist's impressions that may differ from the final building helps avoid giving a misleading impression, which is why most developers do it.