Estate agents must ensure a vendor’s representative has proper authorization to sign the provisional agreement for sale and purchase on a client’s behalf. If that is lacking they could face disciplinary action by the Estate Agents Authority. An estate agent who acted for purchasers in a property transaction provided them with a land search of […]

Real estate agents must comply with various requirements when placing advertisements for residential properties – including obtaining written consent from the vendor beforehand. In addition, they must not issue any adverts containing misleading or false information. Otherwise, they may be subject to disciplinary action by the Estate Agents Authority. An estate agency company appointed an […]

Estate agents must not offer or make loans to prospective purchasers of firsthand residential properties. If they do, they may be subject to disciplinary action by the Estate Agents Authority. A salesperson approached two prospective purchasers at a shopping mall to promote the sale of first-hand residential properties without getting the permission from the mall. […]

Estate agents must not make any misrepresentation – including information on the transaction prices of other properties – which may mislead their clients. Otherwise, they may be subject to disciplinary action by the Estate Agents Authority. An estate agent acted for both parties in a shop transaction. The vendor told the agent that according to […]

If estate agents know properties are involved in legal proceedings they should disclose the facts to clients because a transaction might involve risks. The risks could include a property’s price being affected. One estate agent went awry in acting for both the purchaser and the vendor in a transaction of two properties in an industrial […]

Estate agents should bear in mind that disseminating unverified transaction information is an irresponsible act and brings disrepute to the trade. An estate agency company’s branch manager claimed to have received an inquiry from a potential purchaser interested in several flats in the same development. The potential buyer did not inspect the flats but indicated […]

Estate agents who act for both the buyer and seller in a property transaction should truthfully indicate the price as instructed by either party to the other one – so that the negotiations are done in a fair and transparent manner, and the interest of clients can be protected. A vendor listed his property for […]

Estate agencies Company A and Company B are adjacent shops. One day, Agent A from Company A accompanied his client to view a property. They passed by Company B on the way to the site. The client stopped at Company B and took a glance at the advertisements in its window. Agent B of Company […]

Estate agencies and practitioners should always seek clients’ consent before using their personal data for direct marketing purposes. Mishandling a client’s personal data during estate agency work may be subject to disciplinary action by the Estate Agents Authority. In one case, a homebuyer instructed an agency not to use her personal data for direct marketing […]

Beware of property purchases with a history involving deeds of gift or assignments at nil consideration as they may involve risks. Estate agents should keep a watchful eye when handling such transactions and advise their clients to seek legal advice. In one case, an agent acted for both parties in a residential deal. Although the […]