Tag Archives: Property Agents

Nurturing ethical estate agents

Posted on 3 Nov 2009 | Comments Off on Nurturing ethical estate agents

I REFER to the Institute of Estate Agents’ letter last Saturday, ‘New rules for estate agents: Ethics just as important’.

Singapore Accredited Estate Agencies agrees that ethics is key to the real estate agency profession which has been rife with complaints of errant agents and doubtful practices. At the same time, it is our belief that ethical conduct is developed fundamentally through the estate agent’s education. Right behaviour stems from right learning in the concepts of law, marketing, salesmanship, government regulations and general real estate matters.

Even ethics can be taught as a code of professional conduct and modelled by sterling examples of ethically competent estate agents who have imbibed sound values and are financially successful.

We support the proposed regulatory framework in that every estate agent will have to pass an industry entrance examination before he can be accredited to practise. Estate agents also have to stay relevant on the job by compulsory continuing professional development courses. This is recognition that sound estate agent education will produce competence and desirable professional conduct.

Dr Tan Tee Khoon
Chief Executive Officer
Singapore Accredited Estate Agencies

Source : Straits Times – 3 Nov 2009

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Posted in CEA

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Govt agency should handle resale flat sale

Posted on 31 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Govt agency should handle resale flat sale

DAVID Lawrence has a suggestion for dealing with the problem of rogue housing agents whom the government is trying to rein in: by introducing legislation.

Either the Ministry of National Development or Housing and Development Board could set up a separate statutory body and give it exclusive rights to deal in resale HDB flats, he says.

Such legislation may be difficult to apply retroactively for the existing flats, he notes. But when HDB sells new flats, it could write in the agreement that when the lessees wish to re-sell their flats after the five-year minimum occupation period, they will have to go through the new stat body.

‘If you wish to sell your flat, all you’ll have to do is to list it with this new stat body,’ Mr Lawrence, who is chief executive of Wheelock Properties (Singapore), told BT in a recent interview. ‘The new body would not have to be involved in the pricing. People can put their own price, as in a free market. If it doesn’t sell within three months, then they’ve priced it too high,’ he said.

The proposed new stat body would employ agents who have been screened and found suitable. ‘The commission charges could be low but it will still pay for this stat body to handle all these sales,’ Mr Lawrence said. Continue reading →

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