When Agents Buy First: What Priority Access Really Means For You

14 Dec 2025 News

New launch weekend can feel like a war zone. You hear things like “agents already swept many units” and start to wonder if you even stand a chance as a normal buyer.

Let us unpack what is really going on, in plain English 🙂

1. What is “priority access” and how does it work

Before a public launch, developers usually run a VIP preview. During this period, some groups may get earlier access:

Marketing agents
Developer staff
Buyers who are taking multiple units

This is a private commercial arrangement, not an official government rule. On public launch day, the rest of the units are released to everyone else through the usual balloting and booking process.

2. How much are agents really buying

From recent launch data:

Across many projects, agents took only a small share of units
In some hot launches, this can go up to around 20 percent

So it is not that every launch is heavily “swept” by insiders. It depends a lot on the specific project and the demand at that time.

3. Why developers allow it

Developers like early sales for a few reasons:

For VVIP such as internal staff, property agents, and multiple purchasers
Early bookings make the project look healthy
Strong early numbers help create confidence and some FOMO
It gives them feedback on pricing and product

Usually, agents do not earn commission on units they buy for themselves. However, there are cases where they may receive a reduced commission. For example, instead of a full 2 percent, an agent buyer might get 1 percent, like in the EOK example.

4. Does agent buying affect the average buyer

There are some real effects:

Fewer units available at public launch, especially for popular stacks or smaller sizes
Stronger launch day pressure and FOMO
Buyers may rush decisions after seeing high “sold” numbers

At the same time, agent activity can be a useful signal. Agents look at many projects and talk to many clients. If a meaningful number of them are willing to put their own money into a launch, it can be a decent gauge that the pricing or value is at least reasonable in today’s market.

But it is not a guarantee. Sometimes they are wrong too.

5. What you should focus on instead

Instead of worrying too much about “first dibs”, focus on things you can control:

Know your budget and firm walk away price before balloting
Compare with nearby launches and resale options, not just hype
Decide your reasons for buying: home, long term hold, or flip
Be prepared to walk away if the numbers do not make sense

Treat agent early buying as one data point, not the whole story. The developer, the layout, the location, your loan and monthly payments, these matter much more for your long term outcome.

You do not need to beat the insiders to win. You just need to buy something that fits your life and your numbers 👍