REJECTIONS FOR ESTATE AGENT LICENCE

REJECTIONS FOR ESTATE AGENT LICENCE

4.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many applications from individuals for licences to be estate agents or registration as sales persons under the Estate Agents Act have been rejected to date; and (b) what are the reasons for the rejections and the numbers for each category of rejection.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: As at 31st January 2011, CEA has granted licences to 1,386 estate agents and registered 31,169 salespersons. Six hundred and eleven applications for salesperson registrations were rejected. Of these, 392 were rejected because the applicants had neither taken CEA-endorsed examinations nor completed at least three property transactions over the last two years before 22nd October 2010. These applicants can apply to register with CEA when they meet the necessary requirements.

The remaining 219 applications for salesperson registrations were rejected because they did not fulfil CEA’s "fit and proper" criteria, eg, they had previous convictions for serious offences such as fraud, illegal money-lending, drug-trafficking or outrage of modesty. These criteria are in place to protect consumer interest. In evaluating whether the applicants can be allowed to work as salespersons, CEA will take into consideration the severity of the offences and when they were committed.

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