A number of agent licenses have been terminated by the Real Estate Licensing board over the last two years due to unethical practices.
The board is now working with the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission to ensure the industry is free of unscrupulous dealers.
Board Acting Chief Executive, Virisila Tuimanu says agents and salespersons must be responsible.
”The board has actually cancelled a few over the last two years but the most recent one is one. There is grounds of cancellation outlines very specifically in the Act so if a real estate agent is found to be in breach than there are already grounds of cancellation.”
Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Chief Executive, Joel Abraham says an investigation into the real estate sector is expected to be carried out soon.
” We will form a team, we will put a joint investigation team and the investigation team will actually go out and look at what’s happening and if there are breaches under the FCCC Act and we will charge them under the FCCC Act and if there are breaches under the Real Estate Licensing act then we will charge them under the Real Estate Licensing act.”
The Commission says they’ve received some complaints and cases of misrepresentation by registered agents.
The joint investigation will be carried out to ensure that consumers are not being duped by agents who are trying to profiteer from the buyer’s hard-earned money.
Meanwhile, REALB is working to develop a code of ethics for real estate agents and salespersons.
