DHSUD Asked to Cut Short License Processing Time for Real Estate Salespersons

Real estate groups are pushing for a speedy release of licenses for sales agents as a way to prevent the proliferation of “colorum” sellers victimizing buyers.

The Accredited Real Estate Salespersons (ACRES) as well as A Better Real Estate Philippines (ABREP) are asking the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to cut short the time in releasing licenses which takes about three to four months.

“Some even wait for eight months,” said ABREP founder Anthony Leuterio in a statement sent to reporters.

Last Thursday, August 24, 2023, at DHSUD-Manila, ACRES together with other real estate groups participated in a consultation meeting with DHSUD on the proposed amendments to the agency’s issuances on business firms, brokers, and salespersons.

Leuterio said one of the issues the group highlighted at the meeting was the need for the timely release of licenses of real estate salespersons.

“Delaying such would result in the rise of ‘colorum‘ or unlicensed salespersons,” he said.

The oath-taking after the issuance of licenses also has a limit of 100 salespersons weekly despite it being conducted online.

“We just want things to be efficient because we are promoting nation-building. We are talking about thousands of salespersons wanting to help the real estate industry flourish. And more importantly, if we are delaying the process, it will create more ‘colorum‘ practitioners,” he explained.

DHSUD assured the groups that they would continue to work closely with the real estate groups as they proposed revisions to the Housing and Land Regulatory Board (HLURB) resolution 922-14 or the provisions affecting real estate practice.

Before real estate salespersons can sell properties, they would need to secure licenses from DHSUD and the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). They are also required by the latter to join the online oath-taking.

“Selling can’t wait. If somebody wants to buy from you, you can’t ask them to wait for your license,” Leuterio added.

ACRES national president Chris Malazarte saw the August 24 open forum as an opportunity to manifest the pains of the salespersons in the country.

“We understand that there is a need for the DHSUD to regulate the real estate practice, and our organization appreciates the efforts of the department to improve its policies by making it more responsive to the climate of the industry today,” Malazarte said.

He said the policies provided for by Republic Act 9646 or the Real Estate Service Act Law and BR 922-14 are “simple, but the experiences of the salespersons during registration are not simplistic.”

“There must be a way to make the experience more encouraging for aspiring registered salespersons. This will lessen the evil we’ve been wanting to avoid—’colorum‘ sales agents,” Malazarte added.

ACRES vice president for Luzon Jeffrey Ryan Sanchez also shared the same sentiments, stressing that regulators such as the PRC and the DHSUD must focus on its biggest gap—the timely issuance of licenses for aspiring salespersons.

For his part, Gilbert Monecillo, ACRES vice president for Mindanao invited all real estate organizations to unite in working on professionalizing and improving the real estate profession, particularly for salespersons.

“We, in ACRES, are doing our part in making sure that our members are registered with the PRC and DHSUD, and that they are supervised by a broker as they serve their clients. We are aligned with PRC and DHSUD,” he said.

ACRES has over 3,000 members nationwide.