Jul 2021 - 3 min read
More property consumers and real estate salespersons (RESs) will get to benefit from standardised RES ratings systems with the announcement of Huttons’ new ratings platform, that is aligned with CEA’s Guide on Best Practices for Consumer Ratings of Property Agents.
Launched on CEA’s 10th anniversary last year, the Guide has now been adopted by estate agents (EAs) covering about 80 per cent of salespersons in the industry. The Guide, a collaborative effort by a multi-stakeholder workgroup, the Ratings of Property Agents Workgroup, introduced consistent industry standards for service, professionalism, and skills in the ratings of RESs, thus allowing consumers to compare the ratings and make a more informed decision when choosing a RES to represent them.
Last week, Huttons joined PropNex, ERA, and OrangeTee as an early adopter of the Guide when it launched its new ratings platform. YourPropertyAgent.sg incorporated the Guide recommendations in terms of its display of the ratings, the attributes being rated, the mode and optimal timing to rate, as well as measures to enhance the veracity of the ratings.
Mr Mark Yip, Chief Executive Officer of Huttons Asia said, “We are constantly adopting new digital ways to enhance property transactions for our RESs and exceed the last best experience their clients had. Huttons’ agents rating platform, YourPropertyAgent.sg, helps our RESs to increase their branding with authentic testimonials from clients and garner more exposure online.”
Fendy Lee, Huttons Associate Group District Director, added, “We are able to receive genuine feedback on our services provided to clients, and continuously improve our professionalism as RESs. Potential clients who wish to engage us can also hear from others before we assist them in their property journey.”
Last November, ERA Realty enhanced its RES-review platform, FindPropertyAgent, to align with the guidelines. FindPropertyAgent adapted its ratings attributes, as well as incorporated ratings submitted in the past two years, as recommended by the Guide. “ERA’s FindPropertyAgent provides a platform for clients to rate us transparently and do their research on which RES to work with. It gives prospective clients a glimpse of my track record and the positive experiences of past clients. It gives them assurance of my credentials before working with me,” said Donny Lee, Senior Division Director, ERA Realty.
OrangeTee’s Property Agents Review (PAR) platform was also finetuned in November 2020 to adopt the guidelines. The PAR now publishes ratings and reviews on a 24-month rolling basis and shows the scores and average tally for each RES. Similarly, PropNex referenced the Guide in the design of its PropertyAgentsRating.com platform. It adopted the recommended ratings categories and also introduced a client verification mechanism. Said Jason Ang, Associate District Director, OrangeTee & Tie Pte Ltd, “Through OrangeTee’s Property Agents Review, I’ve gained a plethora of positive reviews that have aided me in my business significantly, and have been useful in reaffirming my experience in the areas I specialise in.”
These commendable efforts by the real estate agency industry to adopt the Guide reflects the industry’s commitment to professionalism and transparency that property consumers value. RESs can also benefit from the ratings received to market themselves and improve their service levels, and receive due public recognition for the work done for their clients.
More information on the early adopters and their rating websites is available here.
Information accurate as at 5 July 2021