Measures to Strengthen Enforcement of Practice Guidelines on Ethical Advertising Issued by CEA

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.

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.