MAIN IMAGE: Jan le Roux, CE of Rebosa
Staff Writer
Hundreds of agents may have been wrongly disqualified
In March this year, the PPRA indicated that candidate practitioners who have been in the industry for a period of more than two years, and property practitioners who have failed to complete the relevant educational qualifications, would be disqualified on June 30th. This has now happened.
What was unforeseen, though many would beg to differ, is that scores of agents who are qualified, or who have been exempted for various reasons, have been erroneously disqualified. To add insult to injury, the time it will take to restore their status is currently unclear.
Why have agents been disqualified?
Rebosa has been inundated with emails from its members stating that they have received disqualification notices.
“I am unable to indicate the number of agents affected but I was in a meeting with the PPRA last Friday and there are a significant number, of agents (at several agencies) who were wrongfully sent the notice (including agents who have been qualified for many years),” shares Juanita Pandy of RE/MAX Southern Africa.
While one could be tempted to blame it on a system error, the reasons for these erroneous disqualifications vary so wildly that it would seem human error played a big part.
Some of the reasons agents were disqualified are listed below:
- The agent has already completed the qualification but it hasn’t been recognised: The letter states that I have not written/passed the PDE 5, but I have done so more than 18 months ago!
- The agent still has time to complete the qualification: According to the old EAAB that they are still working with, in education – a principal has two years within which to write PDE. This agent has only been a principal for 6 months and so should not be disqualified for not having the qualifications or writing the PDE.
- The wrong FFC was issued: The PPRA captured my status as a Principal in error and issued the wrong FFC.
- The agent is held to the wrong qualification standard: The PPRA sent me a disqualification notice due to not having PDE 5. I am a Full Status Agent and PDE 5 is not applicable.
What recourse is there?
Agents who are in good standing but have been erroneously disqualified must submit proof/s of compliance relating to the disqualification notice/s received to upgrades@theppra.org.za. At present there is no indication of how long the process to review these appeals will take.
What are the implications of disqualification? “We have been advised that being disqualified means not being able to access profiles, register for PDE exams, do CPD, or download FFCs, yet retaining FFCs and the ability to operate. This appears to be an indefensible position to take, and we have taken the matter up with the PPRA” says Jan le Roux, CE of Rebosa.
