Measures to Strengthen Enforcement of Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising Issued by CEA
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns additional measures to strengthen enforcement of the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) practice guidelines on ethical advertising as raised by Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee stated that serious breaches can result in registration revocation and fines up to $100,000, while less serious offences attract warnings or fines up to $5,000. Disciplinary records are also published in the CEA’s Public Register, and the agency continues to engage the industry to promote best practices. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee highlighted initiatives like the Alliance for Action on accurate property listings to improve professional standards. These efforts complement the existing robust framework of enforcement and regular industry engagement to ensure property agents uphold ethical advertising duties.
Transcript
20 Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for National Development whether an update can be provided on the specific additional measures, beyond issuing warning letters, financial penalties and suspending or revoking property agents’ registration with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), that are being considered to strengthen the enforcement of the practice guidelines on ethical advertising issued by CEA.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has a robust regulatory and enforcement framework in place to ensure that property agents and agencies uphold high professional standards. Property agents who commit disciplinary breaches, including breaches of duties in respect of advertisements, may be subject to the following disciplinary actions.
For serious disciplinary breaches, property agents may be referred to a Disciplinary Committee (DC). The DC can suspend, revoke, attach or vary conditions on a property agent’s registration and impose financial penalties of up to $100,000 per case. For less serious disciplinary breaches, CEA may issue warning letters or Letters of Censure with financial penalties of up to $5,000 per case. In addition to the above penalties, CEA will publish the property agent’s disciplinary records in CEA’s Public Register.
Besides taking enforcement action on property agents for advertisement breaches, CEA also engages the real estate agency industry regularly to remind property agents and agencies of their duties in respect of advertisements and works with the industry to promote best practices, such as through the Alliance for Action, on accurate property listings.