In plain sight: the realtor’s honesty can be verified through the registry

Nowadays there are many scammers among realtors; anyone can engage in real estate activities — it is not necessary to be an entrepreneur and confirm your qualifications, the deputy emphasizes.

One of the main innovations provided for by the concept of the law is the establishment of a register of realtors: a website on the Internet where there will be information about all companies and individual entrepreneurs that have the right to carry out this activity, as well as about unscrupulous market participants. It is also expected to define real estate activities, give the government the authority to determine which ministry should oversee this area, describe the functions of government authorities in supervising real estate agents, indicate what an agreement for the provision of real estate services should contain, provide for the responsibility of realtors, etc. It is expected to introduce a ban engage in real estate activities if there is a criminal record under certain articles, introduce liability insurance for realtors, adds Razvorotneva.

Real estate transactions are quite complex, each property has its own history of ownership, and each buyer has his own financial situation for the purchase, notes President of the Russian Guild of Realtors Irina Zyryanova. These details are clarified and agreed upon by persons providing services in the real estate market. They can be called differently: realtors, brokers, brokers, sales specialists. The cost of an error or poor quality service for a citizen-consumer can be very high. Therefore, she believes, it is necessary to return state regulation of real estate activities.

Real estate services require ensuring the professionalism and responsibility of companies and specialists, and establishing educational and professional qualifications. The consumer will have access to a single information portal, which will contain information about the persons providing services, positive and negative reviews about their work, and information about the professional training of specialists. Regulation will determine the way in which civil liability of realtors will be ensured in the event of property damage to the consumer — payments from the compensation fund or liability insurance.

According to Zyryanova, controversial issues still remain, for example, approaches to possible regulation — with the direct participation of authorities, or whether it will be mandatory self-regulation with indirect participation of the state in the form of control over associations of self-regulatory organizations. Will this inclusion in the register be permanent or for a certain period?

The introduction of any kind of certification will not solve the problem of fraud in the real estate sector, Sergei Eremkin, managing director of Avito Real Estate, noted at the Movement forum. The problem, in his opinion, can be solved by making incorrect behavior unprofitable, by giving buyers a guideline as to who is a conscientious realtor and who is not. And thereby increasing traffic, the number of transactions and earnings of honest specialists.

Licensing or certification should be carried out separately for each area of ​​the real estate market, says Evgeniy Druzhinin, founder of the Opencity service. The markets for resale, new buildings, rental, and commercial premises are very different and require different knowledge from specialists.

The regulation of the real estate market in Russia is already underway, even without yet having the law that everyone is waiting for, says Olga Vlasova, head of the Real Estate project of the Fund for the Development of Professional Qualifications of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI). There is a professional standard for real estate activities, there is a system of independent assessment of qualifications at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A realtor who has passed the qualification assessment is included in a closed register and can confirm his professionalism to the client.

The current system of self-regulation is voluntary, which significantly reduces its effectiveness, Zyryanova adds. In addition, it does not cover everyone working in this market.

source: «Russian newspaper»