Standards and Enforcement

All accredited members shall have to comply with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) Code of Ethics and Code of Practice when it becomes operational. The CEA's Codes will take precedence over SAEA's Code of Conduct and Ethics.

The purpose of this Code of Conduct and Ethics is as follows:

• To enable accredited members (AM) and any person associated with the accredited estate agencies to develop a sense of commitment and professional responsibilities when dealing with their clients and the public
• To inform and promote realistic expectations of the estate agency service, and
• To provide norms where unprofessional agency conduct can be assessed.

All accredited members shall have to comply with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) Code of Ethics and Code of Practice when it becomes operational. The CEA's Codes will take precedence over SAEA's Code of Practice.

All accredited members are required to comply with the following Code of Practice:

• Terms and Conditions of Service Agreement
• Pricing and Payment
• Confidentiality
• Advertising and Promotion
• Service Delivery
• Feedback Management and Dispute Resolution
• Knowledge and Performance

With effect from 22 Oct 2010, the following enforcement policy shall be applied:

Demerit point(s) will be issued to the accredited member (AM) depending on the severity of the breach. A warning (reprimand) is issued if a AM is reprimanded by the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). Suspension of the AM will only be imposed if the defaulting AM has been similarly suspended by the CEA. Defaulting AMs will have the accreditation status suspended for the same period until CEA reinstates the AM. An AM who has been suspended twice will be expelled and may appeal to the Accreditation Board whose decision shall be final. An AM may apply to rejoin the accreditation scheme after 1 year of expulsion. An AM who has been expelled twice will not be considered for the accreditation scheme.

Purpose

1) Accredited members (AM) providing real estate agent services must do so to the standard of professionalism and skill required by and which are consistent with their accreditation with SAEA Ltd and in compliance with the law.

2) These Guidance Notes are intended to be an integral part of ‘Professional Practice’ and serves as a reference of the level of performance expected of an AM.

3) The Estate Agents Acts 2010 and the Codes of Conduct and Practice of the Council for Estate Agencies remain the authority for agent and saleperson conduct.

Purpose

1) The purpose of this Guidance Notes are to provide a general reference to preparing real estate for sale and lease. It addresses the steps taken in preparing property for sale prior to the actual commencement of marketing proper. It covers the period of preparation of the physical state of the property for sale together with any required financial or technical information bought together in a marketing document prior to the placement of the property on the open market.

2) This Guidance Notes are applicable to accredited members (AM) involved with most forms of real estate. However, they should be aware of particularities which may apply to specialised property and other properties of a specialised nature but which are not necessarily addressed in these Guidance Notes.

3) The Estate Agents Acts 2010 and the Codes of Conduct and Practice of the Council for Estate Agencies remain the authority for agent and saleperson conduct.