DAVAO CITY – Touted as the first and biggest gathering of real estate professionals in Mindanao, the Accredited Real Estate Salespersons in the Philippines, Inc. or ACRES Philippines recently gathered together various real estate service professionals and government regulators to tackle several issues that beset the real estate service practice. The summit hosted by ACRES Davao chapter was attended by delegates from different ACRES chapters from across the Mindanao including real estate organizations from the different regions on May 2, 2023 at the Apo View Hotel, this city.

According to Gilbert Monecillo, the organization’s chapter president believes that “the event will help usher the much needed change, that the industry needs from all of the stakeholders in the industry through its advocacy and partnership with government regulators.

“In regard to the professional practice, ACRES seek to refine the regulatory bottlenecks that is causing the delays in the acceptance of new salespersons as well as the severance of relationship between a salesperson and his real estate broker or what we call as dislodgement.”

According to Monecillo, these bottlenecks are not just merely administrative in nature but are also outcomes of an infirm legislation.

ACRES’ National President Chris Malazarte for his part said that, “We need to take a serious look at our laws, as they are causal to many of the problems of the profession.” The Republic Act 9646 otherwise known as the Real Estate Service Law governs the regulation and conduct of the real estate service practice.

Malazarte added that “The amendment is crucial not only to the growth and development of the profession but also of the real estate industry as a whole owing to our contribution to the property development that relies on us as their sales partners.”

ACRES intends to push for legislative reforms in the area of oversight. As it is now, real estate brokers and salespersons share a common sentiment against two “regulatory overkill” unlike all other professions.

Another real estate group, A Better Real Philippines (ABREP) supports the call of ACRES which according to its president, Anthony Gerard Leuterio, “Salespersons and brokers have a common cause together being at the same forefront of the selling of real estate products.” ABREP is comprised of various professions in the real estate practice with supporters of more than 90,000 across the country.