Praneeta Prakash 
The Real Estate Agents Licensing Board is warning its professionals to uphold ethical and professional standards.
During a recent talanoa session, REALB’s Compliance and Monitoring Officer Meenal Lal revealed the board has already received 24 complaints this year.
Lal says the majority of the complaints involve unprofessional conduct, misuse of client funds, and a failure to comply with disclosure requirements.
REALB’s Compliance and Monitoring Officer Meenal Lal
“You should ensure that your clients understand the contents of the documents they are signing, try to sit them down and make them understand the conditions that the vendor probably must have attached to the particular transactions.”
Lal also reminded agents of their legal obligation to declare any personal interest in listings handled by their own agencies.
“So there is a provision in the Act section 56 with regards to an agent or a salesperson or any officer in your agency, if they are showing an interest in a particular listing in your own agency, they are to disclose it to us in the conflict of interest form from us, that is form 15 and form 16.”
Registrar Peni Komainavoka echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of clients making informed decisions when investing in property.
The Board is encouraging agents to act with integrity, and for clients to stay engaged and ask questions throughout the property transaction process.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
