ICAC and EAA join hands to enhance estate agents' professional ethics
2006-8-8
The ICAC and the Estate Agents Authority (EAA) today (Tuesday) launched a two-year programme to enhance the professional ethical standards and corruption prevention capabilities of real estate agencies.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the "Professional Ethics Programme for Estate Agents" , ICAC's Director of Community Relations, Mrs Erika Hui Lam Yin-ming, stressed the importance of enhancing the professional standards and integrity of estate agents in view of growing business opportunities and challenges brought by the reviving property market and increased awareness of consumer rights.
"Apart from professional knowledge, high efficiency and marketing skills, integrity is the key to gaining the trust of clients," she said.
The ICAC, together with EAA, has formulated a set of ethical management principles for estate agencies. Apart from abiding by the law, estate agencies are encouraged to promote honesty, fairness, righteousness, transparency and self-enrichment in the ind ustry.
Mrs Hui said the programme, supported by six major trade associations, featured two major components.
On internal control, the ICAC would help estate agencies formulate or update staff code of conduct and encourage them to include an integrity clause in employment contracts. It would also assist them in strengthening system control and work procedures to prevent corruption.
On the education front, ICAC would conduct corruption prevention talks as a core subject of the continuing professional development courses for estate agents, added Mrs Hui.
A booklet, highlighting corruption pitfalls in the industry based on past ICAC cases, would also be produced for frontline agents.
Chairman of EAA's Professional Development Committee, Mr Joseph Tsang Hon-ping, said the EAA introduced a voluntary continuing professional development programme with a view to raising the professional standards of practitioners in May last year. The joi nt programme launched with the ICAC would focus on strengthening the professional ethics of the industry.
Following the launching ceremony, about 100 representatives from trade associations and estate agencies attended a seminar to learn about common corruption loopholes and preventive measures.
In the past three years, the ICAC received an average of about 60 corruption reports each year, representing three per cent of the total complaints concerning the private sector.
The majority of allegations involved estate agents accepting advantages from clients, transferring business to other agencies upon receiving illegal commission and deceiving employers by forged documents or information.
Joining the ceremony today were representatives of six trade associations, including the Estate Agents Management Association, Hong Kong Chamber of Professional Property Consultants, Hong Kong Real Estate Agencies General Association, New Territories Esta te Agency Association, Property Agencies Association and the Society of Hong Kong Real Estate Agents.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the "Professional Ethics Programme for Estate Agents" , ICAC's Director of Community Relations, Mrs Erika Hui Lam Yin-ming, stressed the importance of enhancing the professional standards and integrity of estate agents in view of growing business opportunities and challenges brought by the reviving property market and increased awareness of consumer rights.
"Apart from professional knowledge, high efficiency and marketing skills, integrity is the key to gaining the trust of clients," she said.
The ICAC, together with EAA, has formulated a set of ethical management principles for estate agencies. Apart from abiding by the law, estate agencies are encouraged to promote honesty, fairness, righteousness, transparency and self-enrichment in the ind ustry.
Mrs Hui said the programme, supported by six major trade associations, featured two major components.
On internal control, the ICAC would help estate agencies formulate or update staff code of conduct and encourage them to include an integrity clause in employment contracts. It would also assist them in strengthening system control and work procedures to prevent corruption.
On the education front, ICAC would conduct corruption prevention talks as a core subject of the continuing professional development courses for estate agents, added Mrs Hui.
A booklet, highlighting corruption pitfalls in the industry based on past ICAC cases, would also be produced for frontline agents.
Chairman of EAA's Professional Development Committee, Mr Joseph Tsang Hon-ping, said the EAA introduced a voluntary continuing professional development programme with a view to raising the professional standards of practitioners in May last year. The joi nt programme launched with the ICAC would focus on strengthening the professional ethics of the industry.
Following the launching ceremony, about 100 representatives from trade associations and estate agencies attended a seminar to learn about common corruption loopholes and preventive measures.
In the past three years, the ICAC received an average of about 60 corruption reports each year, representing three per cent of the total complaints concerning the private sector.
The majority of allegations involved estate agents accepting advantages from clients, transferring business to other agencies upon receiving illegal commission and deceiving employers by forged documents or information.
Joining the ceremony today were representatives of six trade associations, including the Estate Agents Management Association, Hong Kong Chamber of Professional Property Consultants, Hong Kong Real Estate Agencies General Association, New Territories Esta te Agency Association, Property Agencies Association and the Society of Hong Kong Real Estate Agents.