IEASA National - News

Opportunity for Estate Agents to help re-shape their Industry   Article Date :27 Jan 2006 Calling all agents to complete the questionnaire on the website - deadline 7 February 2006. Estate agents can contribute to the re-shaping of their industry by taking part in the Institute of Estate Agents' research project into industry regulation and property legislation. The completed project will form the IEA's contribution to the Department of Trade & Industry's official investigation into improving estate agency industry regulation. IEA president Bill Rawson says that agents can contribute simply by completing a short questionnaire on the IEA website (www.ieasa.org.za) by no later than 5 February 2006. Rawson describes this as a rare opportunity for the industry. "The government investigation into our industry's governing legislation and our regulating authority is long overdue, and therefore very welcome. As a professional association, we have a lot to contribute from the estate agent's point of view, and we would like to have input from as many people as possible, whether they are IEA members or not." The 68-year-old IEA - not to be confused with the government-appointed Estate Agency Affairs Board - is a private organisation which represents industry interests. Membership is voluntary. The DTI investigation, announced in October, is looking into the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the EAAB, at best practices in other countries, and at property-related legislation. In November, the IEA engaged an advocate and an economist, both with specialist knowledge of the property industry, to compile a detailed report on these subjects, as the basis for the IEA's contribution to the DTI review. The report is due to be completed at the end of February. Rawson says that the IEA report looks not only at the situation in South Africa but also at those in other countries, with the aim of helping to align South Africa with best practices elsewhere. Estate agency industry regulation came under the spotlight during 2005, with reports of high-level impropriety in the Estate Agency Affairs Board, the subsequent departure of nearly half the Board members - who have apparently not yet been replaced - and a delay in the issue of notices for estate agents to renew their compulsory registration for 2006. The IEA website is: www.ieasa.org.za For further information, contact the Institute of Estate Agents' national office at 021 531 2074 END ================== HOE EIENDOMSAGENTE HUL BEDRYF SE TOEKOMS KAN HELP BEÏNVLOED -- INSTITUUT Eiendomsagente kan help om die toekoms van hul bedryf te beïnvloed deur aan die Instituut van Eiendomsagente se navorsingsprojek oor die regulering van die bedryf en eiendomswetgewing by te dra. Die projekverslag sal die IEA se bydra wees tot die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid se amptelike ondersoek na verbetering van die regulering van die bedryf. Bill Rawson, president van die IEA sê agente kan bydra deur 'n kort vraelys op die IEA se webwerf (www.ieasa.org.za) te voltooi teen 5 Februarie 2006. Rawson beskryf dit as 'n seldsame geleentheid vir sy bedryf. "Die amptelike ondersoek na die wetgewing en die instansie wat ons bedryf reguleer is baie welkom," sê hy, "en as professionele vereeniging is ons in staat om 'n wesenlike bydra daartoe te maak. Ons wil graag hoor van soveel mense in die bedryf as moontlik, óf hulle IEA-lede is of nie." Die IEA - wat nie met die regerings-aangestelde Raad vir Eiendomsagentskapaangeleenthede verwar moet word nie - is 'n private organisasie wat in 1937 gestig is om die bedryf se belange te verteenwoordig. Lidmaatskap is vrywillig. Die ondersoek deur die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid, wat in Oktober aangekondig is, kyk na die doeltreffendheid (aldan nie) van die REAA, na praktyke in ander lande, en na eiendomsverwante wetgewing. In November het die IEA 'n advokaat en 'n ekonoom, albei met spesialiskennis van die eiendomsbedryf, aangestel om 'n verslag saam te stel as die basis van die IEA se bydra tot die DHI-ondersoek. Die verslag behoort teen die einde Februarie voltooi wees. Volgens Rawson ondersoek die IEA nie net die situasie in Suid-Afrika nie, maar ook dié in verskeie ander lande, met die doel om Suid-Afrika te help om in lyn met internasionale standaarde te kom. Gedurende 2005 het die regulering van die bedryf onder die kalklig gekom met verslae van ongerymthede in die boonste vlakke van die REAA, die daaropvolgende bedanking van byna die helfte van die raadslede - wat blykbaar nog nie vervang is nie - en 'n vertraging in die uitreiking van kennisgewings om agente hulle verpligte registrasie vir 2006 te laat hernu. Die IEA se webwerf is: www.ieasa.org.za Vir verdere besonderhede skal die Instituut van Eiendomsagente se nasionale kantoor by 021 531 2074 EINDE CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE