LankaPropertyWeb.com, Sri Lanka’s number one property website has introduced an Agent Verification programme for estate agents and brokers. The programme would carry out a rigorous check on participating estate agents and brokers against 20 criteria. If the agent successfully “passes” the test, they would be awarded a “Verified Agent” certificate and would be listed as Verified Agents on the website valid for one year.
The programme was launched so that genuine companies and individuals in the real estate trade are given a platform to validate their credentials and trustworthiness to the potential customers that they will be dealing with. As there is no official certification process for agents and brokers in Sri Lanka, Lanka Property Web hopes that this service will help agents showcase their trustworthiness and reputation to the public.
The verification process, which involves 20 checks, will be carried out by Lanka Property Web. These include checking the ownership of the business, verifying the address and contact details of the business establishment, and the feedback it has received from customers about the agent. This process is on par with similar verification programmes carried out in other parts of the world.
The first such agent to pass the verification process was Menavid (Pvt) Ltd and their certificate was handed over by the Managing Director of Lanka Property Web at a recently held function.
Speaking at the event, Daham Gunaratna, Managing Director of Lanka Property Web stated that Menavid has been in the real estate industry since 1980 and has built a good reputation and trust for itself throughout the years and it was fitting that they were the first recipients of the certification. Stressing the importance of such a programme, he further stated that Lanka Property Web stepped into offer this certification in response to the lack of an official certification for agents in the country and that securing such a certification would help agents to highlight their reputation and trust to the public.
Commenting further on the new programme, Gunaratna stated that, “This would be another value-added service that we provide to property buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants to make it easier for them to find genuine and trustworthy agents to handle their property needs. Agents who take part in this programme will need to meet our stringent qualifying criteria to receive our certification, allowing us to acutely assess their eligibility of having them on-board as a verified property agent. This will in turn offer a multitude of benefits for property seekers, as they will be able to easily find genuine agents to handle their property needs and be assured of peace of mind and better purchasing decisions as a result”
It was also mentioned that several other agents are currently participating in the verification process. One of the key points raised by developers during a panel discussion at the Lanka Property Show 2017 was bringing in regulation for agents and developers alike. Discussions have also been held with agents in this regard on assisting them form an association with the capacity to self-regulate its members and which could be the voice for the industry .
Managing Director of Menavid (Pvt) Ltd Rimza Zaveer said “ Lanka Property Web’s recent verification process has helped us to be recognised as a dependable and trustworthy Agent in Sri Lanka and will help the public to determine whether they are dealing with reliable Agents”
Established in 2007, LankaPropertyWeb.com is currently Sri Lanka’s most visited property website with over 20,000 ads and has over 300 professional agents listing their properties on the site.
MENAVID Real Estate was established in June 1980 and successfully entered the real estate market by focusing on clearly defined market segments; investment properties, office space, renting houses and apartments as residence, renting large spacious houses and Up Market Business Premises/Buildings as Office space, selling and re-selling apartments, houses and lands.