Duties of a Property Agent
What are the duties of a property agent?
During estate agency work, salespersons (or more commonly referred to as property agents) often encounter demands from landlords and tenants that range from resolving landlord-tenant disputes to taking care of the maintenance and repair of the properties. Most of these demands stem from an incomplete understanding of the property agent’s role in a rental transaction.
CEA’s take on the duties of a Property Agent
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has a consumer guide on residential rental transactions. Let’s hear what CEA has to say below:
The role of your property agent is to provide estate agency services. Your property agent completes his services when he has discharged the responsibilities as stated in the Estate Agency Agreement with you.
Your property agent is responsible for safeguarding your interests in a property transaction. He should assist you in the following ways:
Advise you on your eligibility to rent out or rent a property/room
Arrange for property viewings
Provide help and advice to you throughout the rental transaction
Represent you in negotiations with interested prospective parties
Promptly forward to you all offers or expressions of interest from interested parties or their property agents
Assist you to enter into a binding agreement and explain all relevant forms and documents to you
If you are a tenant, he should also advise you to stamp the tenancy agreement with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS)
In general, it is not the duty of your property agent, as part of estate agency work, to provide services relating to other aspects of the rental transaction, such as the maintenance and repair of the property or disputes between the landlord and tenant. Instead, you should negotiate the relevant clauses in a tenancy agreement with the other party to address these matters.
Conclusion
So there you have it, dear landlords and tenants. Remember that your property agent is neither a lawyer nor a renovation contractor, even if he happens to look like one. While it is helpful to hear the opinion of an experienced property agent, you should always seek professional legal advice at the earliest as may be appropriate in your situation.