Check Licences Of Real Estate Professionals

The Real Estate Board (REB) is advising members of the public to ensure that real estate dealers, developers and salesmen with whom they intend to do business are licensed by the entity.

“I just want to remind persons to do their due diligence and check online at www.reb.gov.jm and www.csc.gov.jm when they are dealing with real estate professionals,” Chief Executive Officer of the REB/Commission of Strata Corporations (CSC), Sandra Garrick, told JIS News.

“The Board is there to safeguard the public. However, the public has a responsibility to work with us to ensure that they are dealing with persons we have licensed, so that we can hold these persons accountable,” she said.

Mrs Garrick said that persons who do business with unlicensed real estate professionals, run the risk of not getting the protection afforded by the REB.

She noted, for example, that the board is limited in the action it can take when seeking redress on behalf of aggrieved persons who do business with unregistered dealers.

“We can hold licensed dealers accountable because we can insist that the deposit is placed in an account and we can get copies of the account details so we can see that the public’s money is protected,” she pointed out.

Mrs Garrick said that the Board “continues to clamp down on illegal dealers and developers through continuous monitoring and observation. We have retained another legal officer to help us get compliance, as this is in the interest of our nation, but we need the support of citizens”.