Property agent under probe for seeking payment from seller who was not his client

A property agent is being investigated after he allegedly tried to solicit a commission from the seller of a Housing Board resale flat whom he was not representing.

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The seller, freelance marketing consultant Ashley Lim, had been trying to help her parents sell their five-room Choa Chu Kang flat on her own by listing it on online marketplace Carousell, Ohmyhome and Facebook.

But more than 40, or the vast majority, of the inquiries she received were requests from property agents to market her flat on PropertyGuru and 99.co - popular property platforms that allow listings only from agents.

They promised not to collect a commission from her.

Some agents said they would collect this instead from buyers they introduced to her, while others asked Ms Lim to hike her asking price so they could pocket the difference.

Regulations state that agents are not allowed to solicit payments from people who have not engaged their services. They are also allowed to represent only one party in a transaction (either the buyer or seller).

But Ms Lim's situation reflects how stiff competition in the property market is driving some agents to navigate ethical minefields in order to snap up property listings and commissions.

Ms Lim eventually agreed to allow an agent from Huttons Asia to market the flat on PropertyGuru and 99.co. He had told her that he would collect his commission from the eventual flat buyer.