First amnesty committee meeting for Estate Agency Affairs Board

Many of the applicants, including those who were previously disadvantaged, were unaware that they were obliged to register with the EAAB and be issued with fidelity fund certificates to legally operate as estate agents. Other applicants seemed simply to have allowed their registrations to lapse or had been misinformed or misled as to the registration requirements by their previous principals.

Closely supervised

In granting a number of these amnesty applications, subject to compliance by the applicant with certain necessary conditions, the committee was effectively able to regularise the positions of illegally operating estate agency practitioners, meaningfully contribute to their future employment prospects and bring them into the regulatory fold of professional estate agents.

The activities of all applicants who have been granted amnesty will be closely supervised and monitored by the EAAB for a period of at least six months to ensure that such persons are not only competently and capably performing the functions, duties and activities of estate agents but that they are also complying with all applicable legislative requirements. Professional EAAB staff will, during this period, also be accessible to actively consult with, assist and guide successful applicants to ensure their continued progress, both economic and reputational, as practicing estate agents.

The committee will be meeting on a weekly basis to deal with amnesty applications as they are received and to ensure that no backlog in the processing of applications occurs.