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Sep 26, 2007

Case, property body seek licensing of housing agents

Calls come amid growing number of complaints lodged against agents

By Jessica Cheam

A SHARPLY rising tide of consumer complaints against property agents has emerged in recent data, amid a spike in property sales in the current market boom.

Complaints include claims of misrepresentation and a failure to explain contract terms and conditions fully, the consumer watchdog, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), said.

This has led to renewed calls by Case for a stronger industry watchdog to regulate the sector.

Case, together with the Institute of Estate Agents (IEA), is seeking the mandatory licensing of property agents in Singapore.

In the interim, IEA yesterday launched a new 'practising certificate' to all its members, aimed at boosting their credibility and giving homebuyers and sellers more confidence in agents' professionalism.

The IEA represents about 900 property agents in Singapore. Its president, Mr Jeff Foo, said mandatory regulation for estate agents was overdue, especially given the current property market's bullishness.

The IEA practising certificate will have the identification number of the agent who, as a member, is bound to adhere to the organisation's strict guidelines and code of conduct.

Case president Yeo Guat Kwang said yesterday at a public forum held by the IEA, that agents should be licensed individually. He said Case and IEA will 'push the message to the relevant authorities'.

Complaints lodged against estate agents have almost doubled in the last two years. Case received 991 complaints last year, up from 672 in 2005, and 469 in 2004.

So far this year, 557 complaints have been made.

Mr Yeo said some complainants claimed that unexplained contract clauses were added by the agents, such as changing the level of commission that had been agreed upon.

Mr Yeo, an MP for Aljunied GRC, also said that Case and IEA are already in talks to introduce more regulatory measures.

This could be in the form of a standardised proficiency test that every agent has to pass before being allowed to operate, he said.

Currently, there is no mandatory qualification or licence requirement for housing agents. To operate, an agent has to join a licensed property agency, whose licence is issued by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

Mr Yeo told The Straits Times: 'Even taxi drivers have to fulfil certain criteria before they can operate. What more for property agents, who deal with the hard-earned life savings of Singaporeans.'

Even if rogue agents were sacked, they could join another agency because of the lack of a central body to regulate these agents, he added.

Mr Yeo said IEA's new initiative was a good way to encourage self-regulation, and encouraged consumers to choose agents with such recognition.

To boost membership numbers, the IEA also announced a new tie-up with NTUC yesterday, which enables IEA members to enjoy social benefits under the NTUC.

NTUC's secretary-general, Mr Lim Swee Say, who was at the signing of the memorandum of understanding yesterday, said that through IEA, NTUC can now extend its membership to agents.

He said this was another step closer towards the labour movement's 2011 vision of an all-inclusive membership for workers of all backgrounds.

jcheam@sph.com.sg