MEASURES TO RAISE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE REAL ESTATE
AGENCY INDUSTRY AND TO SAFEGUARD CONSUMER INTEREST
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA ) will implement further regulatory
measures to raise the professionalism of the real estate agency industry and to
safeguard consumer interest.
ESTATE AGENT CARD
2. From 1 March 2011 , all salespersons are required to display their Estate
Agent Card when carrying out estate agency work. The Estate Agent Card will
carry the following information:
- Name and license number of the estate agent;
- Name and registration number of the salesperson;
- Recent photograph of the salesperson; and
- Expiry date of registration of the salesperson.
3. Sample copies of the Estate Agent Card are shown in Annex A. All
salespersons must display their card prominently during the course of their
work. Non-compliance of this regulation is an offence against the Estate
Agents (Estate Agency Work) Regulations 2010. Offenders are liable on
conviction to a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment of up to 6 months, or both.
PHOTOGRAPHS OF SALESPERSONS ON PUBLIC REGISTER
4. From 1 March 2011 , CEA ’s Public Register will be enhanced to display
photographs of all registered salespersons.
5. Consumers are advised to access CEA ’s Public Register at
www.cea.gov.sg to verify the information on the Estate Agent Card against that
on the Public Register before engaging the services of salespersons (see
Annex B). Consumers should also report to CEA when they encounter any
person not listed on the Public Register but carrying out estate agency work
illegally. This will raise overall standards of the industry, as consumers can be
more discerning in assessing the salesperson they engage.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION SCHEME
6. Consumers who are unable to obtain a satisfactory resolution with the
Estate Agent in the event of a dispute have recourse to CEA ’s Dispute
Resolution Scheme. This was implemented on 3 January 2011 . The key
elements of the scheme are summarized in Annex C.
INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE CONSUMER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
7. On these latest measures to protect consumer interest, CEA Executive
Director, Mr Chionh Chye Khye commented: “Beyond the regulatory role,
promoting consumer awareness and education are key focuses of CEA ’s work.
and to educate them on their rights and responsibilities when appointing
salespersons for property transactions.”
Kindly refer to the link in the CEA website.
