A 45-year-old man has become the first person to be charged in court with representing himself as a property agent without being registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA).
It is believed Tan Cher Peng had also failed to obtain a written authorisation from a licensed real estate firm before practising.
Since January 1 this year, all property agents must register with the CEA and possess written agreements with their companies before they are allowed to perform their job.
Failure to comply with these rules is an offence.
Tan had applied to the CEA to register as a salesperson but he allegedly made a false statement in the application on December 14, last year.
He had allegedly stated he had not been convicted in a court of law in any country and this statement was believed to be untrue.
A media release from the CEA said it found out Tan was wanted by the police while processing the application and did not register him.
Despite these, Tan allegedly represented himself as a salesperson for real estate firm, Wallingtons International, in online advertisements.
On January 20, he met two people — Lee Poh Geok and her client, who’s only known as Ms Han — at 27 Club Street near Chinatown.
He is believed to have told them that the property was available for lease.
Tan had also allegedly told the pair he was the landlord’s salesperson before giving them his name card, saying he was a salesperson for Wallingtons.
It is believed he repeated a similar act over the same property with two other people — Joseph Kiong Chin Fong and Lim Yong Khiang — on February 8.
Tan, who faces seven charges in all, will be back in court on July 13.
Source : CNA – 1 Jun 2011
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