Over 50 real estate agents and realty representatives gathered in Nadi yesterday for the country’s first national real estate workshop.
Real Estate Agents Licensing Board (REALB) chairman, Dr Abdul Hassan, said the event was the first serious effort by the Board to resolve the problems plaguing Fiji’s real estate sector.
“In many countries, nearly a third of domestic product is generate through the real estate industry. It creates jobs for thousands of people and it is the source of over 70 percent of local government revenue,” he said.
The workshop saw presentations from industry stakeholders and was officially opened by Industry and Trade Minister, Faiyaz Koya, who noted efforts towards standardizing industry salespersons.
“As the Minister responsible for consumer protection, I want to see progress in the development of appropriate criteria that will guide the approval of salespersons,” Mr Koya highlighted.
“The current Act does not stipulate set requirements for real estate salespersons, who also need to be familiar with the rules and procedures pertaining to property transactions.”
A similar workshop will soon be held in Suva for agents in the Central and Eastern division.