Johannesburg- The Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) is offering illegally operating estate agency practitioners an additional three months to meet its requirements to become registered and compliant agents.
The three-month amnesty period commenced on Friday April 15 and has been extended for three additional months. The new deadline is Saturday October 15, the EAAB said on Friday.
"Since the beginning of the amnesty period, the amnesty committee of the EEAB has considered and granted a significant amount of amnesty applicants," said the board's chairperson, Thami Bolani.
"The committee was especially gratified that in granting a number of these amnesty applications, subject to compliance by the applicant with certain necessary conditions, it was effectively able to regularise the positions of hitherto illegally operating estate agency practitioners, meaningfully contribute to their future employment prospects and also ensure that they were actively brought into the regulatory fold of professional estate agents," he said.
Bolani explained that the aim of the amnesty period is to create an environment in which estate agents are fully compliant for the protection of consumers.
"The amnesty committee has furthermore simplified the application form in order to make it more user-friendly. We therefore encourage unregistered practitioners to come forth and legalise their activities by registering with the EAAB."
The activities of all applicants who have been granted amnesty would be closely supervised and monitored by the EAAB for at least six months. This would ensure that they were not only competently and capably performing the functions, duties and activities of estate agents, but that they were also complying with all applicable legislative requirements.
"Professional EAAB staff will, during this period, also be continuously accessible to actively consult with, assist and guide successful applicants to ensure their continued progress, both economic and reputational, as practising estate agents," Bolani said.
The three-month amnesty period commenced on Friday April 15 and has been extended for three additional months. The new deadline is Saturday October 15, the EAAB said on Friday.
"Since the beginning of the amnesty period, the amnesty committee of the EEAB has considered and granted a significant amount of amnesty applicants," said the board's chairperson, Thami Bolani.
"The committee was especially gratified that in granting a number of these amnesty applications, subject to compliance by the applicant with certain necessary conditions, it was effectively able to regularise the positions of hitherto illegally operating estate agency practitioners, meaningfully contribute to their future employment prospects and also ensure that they were actively brought into the regulatory fold of professional estate agents," he said.
Bolani explained that the aim of the amnesty period is to create an environment in which estate agents are fully compliant for the protection of consumers.
"The amnesty committee has furthermore simplified the application form in order to make it more user-friendly. We therefore encourage unregistered practitioners to come forth and legalise their activities by registering with the EAAB."
The activities of all applicants who have been granted amnesty would be closely supervised and monitored by the EAAB for at least six months. This would ensure that they were not only competently and capably performing the functions, duties and activities of estate agents, but that they were also complying with all applicable legislative requirements.
"Professional EAAB staff will, during this period, also be continuously accessible to actively consult with, assist and guide successful applicants to ensure their continued progress, both economic and reputational, as practising estate agents," Bolani said.