A large number of complaints investigated by the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) were unsubstantiated, or were beyond its purview, The Straits Times reported.
During its first 18 months of operations, CEA investigated 1,080 complaints, of which 422 cases were found to be unsubstantiated. These comprise four frivolous claims, 143 complaints where the agent did nothing wrong and 275 cases where there was a lack of evidence to support the complaint.
No further action was taken on 139 complaints as they were not under the reach of CEA, data revealed.
Meanwhile, several cases were referred to other agencies. 52 were passed to the Small Claims Tribunal and 22 to the police. At the same time, CEA issued 283 warning letters and brought three cases to court.
“The industry has experienced significant change under this new regulatory landscape. CEA’s approach has been to regulate with a lighter touch initially, and then gradually tighten up as the market adjusts to the new standards,” said Greg Seow, President of CEA.
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