Fiji’s real estate agents should only be allowed to practice when they have met prescribed industry standards, the country’s consumer council has suggested.
Voicing concerns that consumers were vulnerable to a growing number of unlicensed real estate agents advertising properties and services in the newspapers, council chief executive officer Premila Kumar said Fiji’s laws were inadequate in policing unscrupulous operators.
Kumar said the Real Estate Agents Licensing Board must strengthen enforcement and monitoring to curb illegal operators.
"So far, 76 real estate agents are registered under the Registrar of Companies but the question is do they hold a valid licence to engage in real estate business?" said Kumar.
She said what was also worrying was that the Real Estate Act did not set out minimum qualifications for agents, only requiring that licensees should be over 21, have a minimum of five years experience and to "pass any examination".
