Page 12 - 地產代理監管局年報 2017/18 Estate Agents Authority Annual Report 2017/18

˴ࢩٙ༑

Chairman’s Message

ۃԓʘᔧ ܝԓʘᛡ Disappointment and expectations

ኋ၍Ңࡁʊί͍ࠐʘɪdɓԬ˿ɛೌجટաٙԫ΁ Although we are on the right track, sometimes unacceptable events
ʥ್೯͛əfڐಂϞᗫήପ˾ଣ׵ɓ˓ᅽᆵቖਯஈ do happen. The recent incidents involving estate agents fighting at
೯͛͂৸ԫ΁݊ഒ࿁ʔঐ࢙Ҝٙd͵˿዆ࡈุޢႆ sale-sites of first-hand residential properties are absolutely
ୢf௅ʱุޢ৷ᄴਗ਼ԫ΁ᓥշ׵˾ଣཾεഎˇϾኬ intolerable, and have brought disrepute to the entire trade. Some
ߧБุᘩنዧडdவྼ᙮ೌ࣬ኽٙᔟɹfவԬԫ΁ industry leaders blame the disorder on the intense competition
ٙॆ͍ϓΪd݊͟׵ࡈйήପ˾ଣʮ̡ܸݼ˄ε˾ caused by the high number of agents competing for too little
ଣձӚϞ೐๫ٙࡰʈՑቖਯஈם઀ᚥ܄fՉྼdೌ business. This is an unfounded excuse. The true reason is individual
ሞ̹ఙٙᘩنνОዧडdԴ͜ᅳɢ̘༆Ӕਪᕚே݊ estate agency companies have assigned too many agents and
ഒʔঐટաf unlicensed staff to the sale-sites to garner customers. No matter
how competitive it is, use of violence is absolutely unacceptable.

ᒱ್dҢࡁೌجкᓙ˾ଣٙᅰοϞεྺʑၑ݊࿁ุ While we cannot guess how many agents would be “just right” for
ޢ˜࡝࡝λ™d͵ӚϞ΂Оجܛਿᓾ̘ࠢՓᅽᆵቖਯ the trade, and we do not have any legal basis to limit the number
ஈٙήପ˾ଣɛᅰdШ္၍҅ึ࿁ʔ຅ή༶͜ήପ of agents present at the sale-sites, the EAA can take punitive
˾ଣձೌ೐ࡰʈٙήପ˾ଣʮ̡મ՟ᕾஈБਗfί actions against those estate agency companies that use agents and
ஈଣ͂৸ԫ΁˙ࠦdҢࡁйೌ˼جd̥λϗၡ޴ᗫ unlicensed staff inappropriately. In dealing with the fighting, we
ੂุܸˏʿ̋ࠠஈʱf္၍҅ϞӔː༿˟޴ᗫٙʔ have no other option but to tighten the practice rules and raise the
຅Бމf΂О༼ˀܸˏٙɛɻdʔሞ݊ਞၾ͂৸ٙ severity of punitive actions. The EAA is determined to put such
ܵ೐ɛא݊ᐽ࢙ᅳɢБމٙήପ˾ଣʮ̡dѩࠅࠦ misbehaviours to a stop. Any offenders, be it a licensee engaged in
ᑗᘌࠠܝ؈f္၍҅ഒʔ࢙஢΂О࢔໊ʘ৵ॎᕸุ a fight, or a member of an agency company management
ޢԔ߮ܔͭ੻Ըٙᑊᚑf promulgating such violence, will face severe consequences. The
EAA will not allow a few black sheep to ruin the reputation of the
trade, which the majority of our agents deserve.

๟௪ఱၫ ഄྌ͊Ը Investing in the future

މԴ္၍҅ٙᐄ༶ϓ͉ձ೐๫൬͜˥̻ڗჃၪܵᖢ With a view to stabilising the EAA’s operating costs and the level of
਄d္၍҅ʊ׵ࣵᝄᒅໄอ፬ʮ܃dߒϞ50%ٙܝ licence fees in the long run, the EAA has acquired a new office in
ාࡰʈਗ਼׵2018ϋቋֻอѧʈЪfІໄ፬ʮ܃ৰঐ Chai Wan. Roughly 50% of our back office staff force will move
࢙ॶߒɓ̒ࡰʈdԨঐᔟϤື޲ߒɓ̒ٙॡږක there in 2018. With a self-owned office that can house about half
ቖdʿתቖॡږɪʺٙ൬͜d੽ϾಯЭίʔɮਗ਼Ը of the staff force, the EAA will be able to hedge half of its rental
ࠅᄣ̋೐๫൬̙ٙ͜ঐ׌f expenses against rental increase, which will be helpful in reducing
the possibility of a license fee increase in the near future.

10 &45"5& "(&/54 "65)03*5: t Annual Report 2017/18