Pattaya Real Estate Broker's Association

[sharecropper]

I just read an acronym-spattered news report about REBA's latest doings, but I wonder how many Pattaya agents are actually affiliated to REBA and in the end, does it matter whether they are or that aren't?

What are the benefits of being in REBA for an agency, and what benefits does it give a buyer/renter in dealing with a REBA-approved agent in Pattaya?

Do they hold money in escrow? Can you make a complaint against their conduct to a professional body? Money-back guarantees?

Or is this going to become a Pattaya Expats Club v Expats Club of Pattaya kind of situation, with most agents ignoring REBA, and most customers not giving a toss either way unless a tangible benefit can be touted, which it doesn't seem to have been so far.

[JMS]

I think they formed to justify their rise from 3% to 5% comission and to make them look respectable

[sharecropper]

I think they formed to justify their rise from 3% to 5% comission and to make them look respectable

Is that right? A standard 5% for REBA agents? I suppose someone has to pay for all this self-promotion and publicity.

Mind you, I know a lot of other agents who charge 5+% and they are not members, although the respectability point might be correct - some of the agencies don't need the fig leaf of REBA for their respectability, but some defnitely might.

I wonder whether they have all been "successfully marketed" to by the parent REBA company to pay subscriptions, pay to go on useless courses, to wear the king's new clothes, but really get nothing in return?

And like I said in my OP, if there was something REALLY useful in being a member why aren't more people in it, and if there was a REALLY tangible benefit for consumers in using a REBA agent, why don't we know about it already?

Are they better at marketing their expensively won qualifications than touting the benefits of being in their gang?

Maybe REBA-ES stands for Really Expensive Best Avoid - Excellent Scam

[LennyW]

A lot of information on their website. www.rebaes.org

[foxxx]

i think the idea behind it like any other organisation is to qualify the agencies and offer some kind of re-assurance to the customers that the agency has taken steps hold itself to a higher standard and ethics.

from what i know - there's no real regulation of the agencies compared to other countries, anyone can start an agency, so i'm assuming the people behind that organisation is similar to other organisations - trying to show a standard of quality and assurance to their customers.

but maybe i'm wrong? i have no idea about agencies.

[Tejas]

A lot of information on their website. www.rebaes.org

I think this man recently joined as a spokesperson singing a new song written for for the group that goes, basically, like this:

Ain't no problem in the real estate sector.........we are sure

Ain't no problem in the real estate sector.........we are sure

Ain't no problem in the real estate sector.........

Ain't no problem in the real estate sector

We are really, really, really......really sure..........

You can all sing along as the ship sinks.

[sharecropper]

A lot of information on their website. www.rebaes.org

Thanks. Interesting, especially:

What is REBA? - REBA works closely with the Thai Government in lifting the ethical and professional standards of Real Estate Agents and Brokers by conforming to official Thai Government policies as well as International Real Estate standards.

What does the REBA logo mean to your company -

1. Shows your Company’s membership in a well established and respected Real Estate Organisation with Thai Government support.

2. Gives your Company’s clients confidence and peace of mind, in that, they are dealing with honest and reputable Real Estate Professionals.

3. Will give your Company strength and security within the Real Estate Marketplace, as REBA has very high standards set by its internationally approved rules and regulations, codes of ethics and dispute resolution policies.

4. It shows that your Company participates in, and benefits from, the Eastern Seaboard's largest Real Estate network and information pool.

I read the code of ethics, which are just basic common business sense, but maybe not in Pattaya.

So it is, as expected, a glorified bit of window dressing for the agents themselves. That's fine. But what but punters.

Do REBA agents have to hold client money in escrow accounts, so that if one goes bust, will REBA guarantee you your deposit?

If a REBA agent puts a client into one of these non-built off plan developments, and pays a deposit, is a buyer any better off than if it was introduced by a fly-by-night agency?

I am trying to see any REAL benefit for a buyer in dealing with a REBA agent, not just trying to have a pop at them.

[SirReal]

My comments if you don't mind:

1. What is REBA? - REBAThailand works closely with the Thai Government in lifting the ethical and professional standards of Real Estate Agents and Brokers by conforming to official Thai Government policies as well as International Real Estate standards.

Comment: What is REBA? - Yes REBA Thailand does work closely with the Thai Government in lifting the ethical and professional standards of Real Estate Agents and Brokers by conforming to official Thai Government policies as well as International Real Estate standards.

Comment: What is REBA ES? REBA ES no longer has ANY affiliation with REBA Thailand as a result of the REBA ES founder having resigned and left the organization almost a year ago now. That means that this group of local brokers that call themselves REBA ES have no affiliation with the NAR in America anymore either. REBA ES no longer has any affiliation with any reputable national or international real estate organizations. This is the real reason REBA ES had to change to a new logo because they were told by REBA Thailand to stop using the green REBA Thailand logo as if their own. REBA Thailand and REBA ES no longer have the affiliation they had before and REBA Thailand and REBA ES have nothing to do with each other anymore. REBA ES is nothing more than a gang of local brokers.

2. What does the REBA logo mean to your company - 1. Shows your Company's membership in a well established and respected Real Estate Organisation with Thai Government support.

Comment: To say REBA ES is an established and respected Real Estate Organisation with Thai Government support is completely incorrect as REBA ES has no relationship whatsoever with the Thai Government or ANY other national or international organizations.

Comment: To say REBA ES gives your Company's clients confidence and peace of mind, in that, they are dealing with honest and reputable Real Estate Professionals is now very questionable as three of the original eight REBA ES Charter members are not even member anymore (resigned) and there is absolutely NO reputable organization overseeing these brokers. They are a complete renegade gang of brokers using other national and international real estate organizations rules and regulations and codes of ethics as their own with nobody watching over them. How safe is that? If the person that formed REBA ES resigned and left without any confidence in the group why should strangers have confidence in this group?

Comment: To say REBA ES gives your Company strength and security within the Real Estate Marketplace, as REBA has very high standards set by its internationally approved rules and regulations, codes of ethics and dispute resolution policies is completely false and incorrect!

Comment: As said above, these guys (REBA ES) have no affiliations with anyone anymore (those were taken away by REBA Thailand!) and they now have NO internationally approved rules and regulations, codes of ethics and dispute resolution policies at all.

Comment: To say that your Company participates in, and benefits from, the Eastern Seaboard's largest Real Estate network and information pool is really pushing it as REBA ES used to have eight charter members and over twenty members a couple years ago. As you can see today on their website REBA ES has only five charter members left and only ten associate members.

3. I read the code of ethics, which are just basic common business sense, but maybe not in Pattaya. So it is, as expected, a glorified bit of window dressing for the agents themselves. That's fine. But what but punters.

Do REBA agents have to hold client money in escrow accounts, so that if one goes bust, will REBA ES guarantee you your deposit?

Comment: NO REBA agents do not have escrow accounts nor currently does anyone else, so that if one does go bust, a REBA ES member cannot guarantee you your deposit?

If a REBA agent puts a client into one of these non-built off plan developments, and pays a deposit, is a buyer any better off than if they were introduced by a fly-by-night agency?

Comment: NO, a buyer is NOT any better off than if it was introduced by a fly-by-night agency as both would be treated the same by the developer.

4. I am trying to see any REAL benefit for a buyer in dealing with a REBA agent, not just trying to have a pop at them.

No Comment!

[prefabs]

So, in summing up, another bunch of crooked Real Estate Agents tying to look respectable.

[sharecropper]

Excellent and informative post SirReal.

I hope someone from REBA ES will come on and try to explain or justify their organisation.

I did wonder, if, when "the founder member" left, did it have something to do with institutional issues or problems in the organisation, but am I correct in thinking that his wife is involved with it?

[basjke]

In short,if there is no money to be taken anymore due to a lack of customers and we need to keep our lifestyle high why not try to rip some money off some fellow agents.

Probably soon there will be more of this kind organizations as there agents will be.

Edited February 14, 2010 by basjke

[SirReal]

Excellent and informative post SirReal.

I hope someone from REBA ES will come on and try to explain or justify their organisation.

I did wonder, if, when "the founder member" left, did it have something to do with institutional issues or problems in the organisation, but am I correct in thinking that his wife is involved with it?

________________________________________________________________________________

_______

She was the charter president of REBA ES and she resigned and left the REBA ES organization for the same reasons.

Edited February 14, 2010 by SirReal

[SirReal]

Excellent and informative post SirReal.

I hope someone from REBA ES will come on and try to explain or justify their organisation.

________________________________________________________________________________

_____

Perhaps the Thai Visa advertiser Benchmark who is a member of REBA ES would like to come on the forum and comment about his membership in REBA ES and how he formed his own Benchmark business here in Pattaya.

Wouldn't that be nice 'sharecropper'?

Edited February 14, 2010 by SirReal

[OZEMADE]

So, in summing up, another bunch of crooked Real Estate Agents tying to look respectable.

Exactly, they are not selling property as they keep advertising they are. So they want to put up the % to have some extra cash for their shortfall. I know that some of these agents have put staff off as I have one living next door to me that worked for the same company for 3 years, (NO SALES) Bye Bye. She told me that a lot of people are selling their house or condo themselves privately.

Regardless what you hear there is still no cash around to purchase a home or condo, in fact most agents have second hand ones for sale.

[dickie58]

One of my agents who is NOT a member of REBA told me a while ago, only the Thai staff have to take the REBA course?

As someone has already said above, most of the REBA agents locally are now charging 5% sales comision, & a lot of them also want there comision when the buyers pays the deposit?

If the deal falls through because the buyer backed out as he had a change of mind, would the REBA agents return there fee to the seller?

[SirReal]

One of the REBA ES members is in court now for not returning money to a client!

For the sake of the moderators: This is a fact and can be verified at the Pattaya Court House. This is not an allegation nor can it be considered slander in any way.

[sharecropper]

One of my agents who is NOT a member of REBA told me a while ago, only the Thai staff have to take the REBA course?

As someone has already said above, most of the REBA agents locally are now charging 5% sales comision, & a lot of them also want there comision when the buyers pays the deposit?

If the deal falls through because the buyer backed out as he had a change of mind, would the REBA agents return there fee to the seller?

a lot of them also want there comision when the buyers pays the deposit?

If any agent, REBA or not, is doing that it is pretty outrageous - and stupid of them, given the things that can and do go wrong.

[SirReal]

Sharecropper: If the deposit is a nonrefundable deposit and the property owner (seller) knows that the broker is receiving his commission up front as part of the non-refundable deposit, it is acceptable.

Unfortunately the property owner (seller) usually does not know that the broker is keeping his commission up front.

All funds received by the broker must be known to the property owner (seller) by law.

Edited February 14, 2010 by SirReal

[sharecropper]

Sharecropper: If the deposit is a nonrefundable deposit and the property owner (seller) knows that the broker is receiving his commission up front as part of the non-refundable deposit, it is acceptable.

Unfortunately the property owner (seller) usually does not know that the broker is keeping his commission up front.

All funds received by the broker must be known to the property owner (seller) by law.

I can understand and have paid (and have had paid to me) a non-returnable deposit in the tens of thosuands of Baht to indicate seriousness and to remove something from the market, but would an estate agent allow a buyer (he's effectively acting for both buyer and seller, right?) to pay a substantial non-refundable deposit comprising a large percentage of the purchase price in Pattaya?

I thought those days had long gone!

What's REBA's policy on that? Do you know?

[SirReal]

Sharecropper: If the deposit is a nonrefundable deposit and the property owner (seller) knows that the broker is receiving his commission up front as part of the non-refundable deposit, it is acceptable.

Unfortunately the property owner (seller) usually does not know that the broker is keeping his commission up front.

All funds received by the broker must be known to the property owner (seller) by law.

I can understand and have paid (and have had paid to me) a non-returnable deposit in the tens of thosuands of Baht to indicate seriousness and to remove something from the market, but would an estate agent allow a buyer (he's effectively acting for both buyer and seller, right?) to pay a substantial non-refundable deposit comprising a large percentage of the purchase price in Pattaya?

I thought those days had long gone!

What's REBA's policy on that? Do you know?

________________________________________________________________________________

_

The better question is what policies does REBA ES follow.

Again, the broker has their legal and fuduciary relationship with the property owner and that broker is obligated to make any funds received through a sale known to that property owner (seller).

[Rimmer]

Post deleted, we can not allow this type of mud slinging on Thai Visa please read the rules before you post.

[123ace]

As far as I am aware none of the international agents belong to this assocaition. As such it is a localised sector attempt in a sub-market (i.e not the capital city or other cities) to establish industry credibilty. I suspect it was conceived with good intentions, but limited vision has prevented it from forming long term relevance.

[sharecropper]

As far as I am aware none of the international agents belong to this assocaition. As such it is a localised sector attempt in a sub-market (i.e not the capital city or other cities) to establish industry credibilty. I suspect it was conceived with good intentions, but limited vision has prevented it from forming long term relevance.

My reading of your recent interesting analyses of the Pattaya and Thailand market suggest you are in this line of work. If so, assuming you are in Pattaya, presumably you are not a member?

Do you know whether the international agencies hold clients' money in escrow accounts or co-mingle with their own?

[PattayaParent]

My comments if you don't mind:

1. What is REBA? - REBAThailand works closely with the Thai Government in lifting the ethical and professional standards of Real Estate Agents and Brokers by conforming to official Thai Government policies as well as International Real Estate standards.

<snip>

It would be good if they would publish the Thai Government policies and International standards and also advise how to go about lodging a complaint for failure to uphold those policies and standards.

[Basil B]

I wonder who benefits if a Real Estate company is a member of the association?

Does it ensure fair ethics and that the clients of members get treated fair or is just there to make them look good and they do not pinch work from fellow members?

[prefabs]

Excellent and informative post SirReal.

I hope someone from REBA ES will come on and try to explain or justify their organisation.

________________________________________________________________________________

_____

Perhaps the Thai Visa advertiser Benchmark who is a member of REBA ES would like to come on the forum and comment about his membership in REBA ES and how he formed his own Benchmark business here in Pattaya.

Wouldn't that be nice 'sharecropper'?

Little chance of Benchmark answering. He has gone to ground after having his 3 concurrent posts removed. For some reason he called me and some other questioners idiots. I think he may be poorly

[basjke]

It seems the truth is not appreciated here once again.

[dickie58]

To be fair to Benchmark, i have my house listed with his company, & i have always found the guy very nice & very polite. Its fair to say if you rub anyway up the wrong way, they will bite eventually.

As far as Sharecropper asking him how he got the nomtination for the Thailand Property awards, in the posts what have now been removed Benchmark appeared to offer an explantion, if Sharecropper gave him his real name, email, & phone number. I don't see anything wrong with that?

Why should Benchmark have to answer these questions on the open forum.

I imagine, although i haven't looked, it says how you get nominated for the Thailand property awards on there web site, & also says who are the judging panel?

Was "Sir Real" involved in REBA ES previously, or is a Ptty agent himself?

Edited February 15, 2010 by dickie58

[sharecropper]

To be fair to Benchmark, i have my house listed with his company, & i have always found the guy very nice & very polite. Its fair to say if you rub anyway up the wrong way, they will bite eventually.

As far as Sharecropper asking him how he got the nomtination for the Thailand Property awards, in the posts what have now been removed Benchmark appeared to offer an explantion, if Sharecropper gave him his real name, email, & phone number. I don't see anything wrong with that?

Why should Benchmark have to answer these questions on the open forum.

I imagine, although i haven't looked, it says how you get nominated for the Thailand property awards on there web site, & also says who are the judging panel?

Was "Sir Real" involved in REBA ES previously, or is a Ptty agent himself?

As far as Sharecropper asking him how he got the nomtination for the Thailand Property awards, in the posts what have now been removed Benchmark appeared to offer an explantion, if Sharecropper gave him his real name, email, & phone number. I don't see anything wrong with that?

Why should Benchmark have to answer these questions on the open forum.

I will accept an apology anytime for this comment, as I don't think I have ever posted anything re Benchmark and certainly had no involvement with that removed thread. I think you have misread it and them misposted.

I couldn't care less about who he is or how he got any nomination. Good luck to him!

Edited February 15, 2010 by sharecropper

[dickie58]

To be fair to Benchmark, i have my house listed with his company, & i have always found the guy very nice & very polite. Its fair to say if you rub anyway up the wrong way, they will bite eventually.

As far as Sharecropper asking him how he got the nomtination for the Thailand Property awards, in the posts what have now been removed Benchmark appeared to offer an explantion, if Sharecropper gave him his real name, email, & phone number. I don't see anything wrong with that?

Why should Benchmark have to answer these questions on the open forum.

I imagine, although i haven't looked, it says how you get nominated for the Thailand property awards on there web site, & also says who are the judging panel?

Was "Sir Real" involved in REBA ES previously, or is a Ptty agent himself?

As far as Sharecropper asking him how he got the nomtination for the Thailand Property awards, in the posts what have now been removed Benchmark appeared to offer an explantion, if Sharecropper gave him his real name, email, & phone number. I don't see anything wrong with that?

Why should Benchmark have to answer these questions on the open forum.

I will accept an apology anytime for this comment, as I don't think I have ever posted anything re Benchmark and certainly had no involvement with that removed thread. I think you have misread it and them misposted.

I couldn't care less about who he is or how he got any nomination. Good luck to him!

Ok i apolgise, it wasn't you running him down , can't see who it was as the posts have been removed. my mistake, i am sorry. i made a mistake.

Maybe someone could tell us who it was then?