Real estate salespersons form ‘watchdog’ group in Cebu

CEBU CITY—Real estate sellers have organized themselves into a group that would serve as a watchdog against the sale of anomalous properties, unscrupulous developers, and persons that misrepresent projects or landholdings of dubious nature.

The Accredited Real Estate Salespersons in the Philippines (ACRES Philippines) said in a press statement Friday that it was targeting 20,000 to 50,000 members across the country.

In Cebu, the group is eyeing recruiting more members considering the booming real estate sector in the province as the economy reopens.

“This organization will help police the industry against illegal practitioners or colorum salespersons,” said Anthony Gerard Leuterio, president of A Better Real Estate Philippines, the mother organization of ACRES.

Leuterio said salespersons are at the front lines and comprise the biggest number of professionals in the real estate service.

He said a salesperson who wants to join ACRES must be registered with the Professional Regulation Commission.

Conceived in 2020 in Cebu and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 15, 2021, the group envisioned itself to be the voice of real estate salespersons.

ACRES will also help the country craft better policies and legislations to accelerate industry growth.

“It will serve as a catalyst to change real estate laws now deemed irrelevant and untimely,” the group said.

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