More rogue property agents surfacing

[reporter2]

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/spec...ents-surfacing

Published May 29, 2012

More rogue property agents surfacing

Council for Estate Agencies advises clients to check that agent is registered

By michelle tan


[SINGAPORE] As public awareness of unregistered property sales people gains traction, more rogue agents are expected to be uncovered.

In fact, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), which helps regulate the real estate agency industry here, says it will have its hands full over the coming months as it tries to prosecute unregistered agents who have been carrying out estate agency work illegally.

Recently, unregistered agent Raymond Sim Soon Leong was sentenced to a fine of $40,000, or in default eight weeks' imprisonment, for flouting rules under the Estate Agents Act and Regulations.

Describing himself as a sales director of a licensed estate agent, Sim had put up advertisements for the rental of two HDB flats via an online property site and represented clients in making offers for properties despite not being registered with the CEA and not having written agreement with the estate agency for him to practise. His deeds were uncovered when his clients lodged a complaint against him for impersonating a registered salesperson after they found out that the photo of the named person shown on CEA's Public Register of Estate Agents and Salespersons did not match Sim's appearance.

"This case illustrates the importance of checking the identity of a salesperson on the Public Register before consumers engage any salesperson for his or her services," said the CEA.

So far, the CEA has convicted two persons for flouting rules this year with another awaiting a further court hearing on June 21.

The first unregistered salesperson to be prosecuted by the CEA was Tan Cher Peng, who was sentenced to a fine and jail term on Jan 12 this year.

The CEA advises consumers to engage only sales agents who are registered with the body and says they ask for the salesperson's registration number to verify that he is indeed listed on the public register before engaging his services. The council also said the public should not respond to any real estate agency flyer or advertisement that does not provide a salesperson's details or registration number.

[reporter2]

http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapor...ry_804304.html

Unregistered agent fined over two property deals

Published on May 29, 2012

By Janice Tai


THE second person charged in court for passing himself off as a registered and authorised property agent has been fined $40,000 in relation to two property transactions.

If he defaults on payment, he has to spend eight weeks in prison. Raymond Sim Soon Leong, 30, was taken to task by the industry regulator - the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) - for not registering with it, as required by law.

He also claimed to be a sales agent with a licensed estate agency without first getting written authorisation from it.

Despite this, he listed two Housing Board flats for rental on an online property portal under his name while describing himself as a sales director of a licensed estate agency.

He also represented clients in making offers, negotiated property transactions directly and conducted flat viewings.

Sim's offences came to light when his clients lodged a complaint with the CEA.

Then, he had introduced himself as a registered salesman of a licensed estate agency to a couple interested in buying an HDB flat.

When the couple checked the Public Register of Estate Agents and Salespersons on CEA's website, they discovered that the photograph of the person Sim claimed to be did not resemble him and reported him.

He is the second unregistered salesman to be charged in court by CEA and convicted under the Estate Agents Act.

The first, Tan Cher Peng, 45, was sentenced to one month in jail and fined $32,000 in January.

A CEA spokesman said there is one more case involving unregistered salesman Lim Beng Kwang that is slated for a further court hearing next month.

Several more such alleged offenders will be prosecuted in the coming months, the spokesman added.

Property agents whom The Straits Times spoke to said those being prosecuted now are likely to have been operating as unregistered agents for some time, before the CEA was formed two years ago.

'They are the ones who have been doing this as a part-time or sideline job, closing just a few deals a year and hence see no need to go through the process of registering themselves,' said SLP International head of research Nicholas Mak.

PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail agreed.

'They are unlikely to be new players as those who just entered the industry now are made aware of CEA's rules and the stiff penalties through training courses.'

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[House]

most likely they didnt get the license.