Beware of fake estate agents, public warned

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

THE Institute of Estate Agents has expressed concern over the alarming rate of bogus agents asking for colossal sums of money as viewing fees for properties.

Zambia Institute of Estate Agents (ZIEA) president, Logan Nyasulu, warned unsuspecting members of the public to desist from paying the fees saying it was illegal for any estate agent to make a client pay a viewing fee for a property.

Mr Nyasulu said government had done its part by enacting a law through the Estate Agents Act No. 21 of 2000 but that it was regrettable that there were a lot of reported cases where members of the public were made to pay illegal fees like viewing fees by fake estate agents.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr. Nyasulu said ZIEA in collaboration with the National Prosecution Authority and the Zambia Police had set the stage for the prosecution of criminal agents and encouraged members of the public to play their part.

“As ZIEA we appeal to all members of the public to join hands with ZIEA and deal with this cancer of bogus agents once and for all.

“We have regrettably noted that there are a lot of cases where members of the public were made to pay illegal fees like viewing fees by bogus estate agents,” he said.

Mr Nyasulu said ZIEA expects members of the public to report bogus estate agents as it was now easy to distinguish between a fake and a genuine agent by visiting their website or contacting the estate authority.

He said there was need for more collaborative efforts in 2018 with members of the public in order to get rid of illegal agents.

Mr Nyasulu said it did not make sense to facilitate for a criminal to steal and then go about complaining when such a scenario could be avoided.