IEA steps up promotion of real estate courses
By Cheryl Lim
A LEADING property industry organisation is stepping up efforts to make Singapore a regional leader in real estate.
The campaign involves heavier local and overseas promotion of two internationally recognised courses run by the Institute of Estate Agents (IEA).
The IEA won the right this year to offer the courses, which cover global real estate markets and financial analysis concepts.
Previously, both programmes were offered only in the United States.
It plans to offer another course, on residential property, next year.
Foreign interest in the courses is growing, with the IEA receiving as many as seven inquiries a day.
The IEA's immediate past president, Mr Jeff Foo, said the increased marketing efforts will bode well for Singapore's real estate sector.
He said local agents who undergo the five-day programmes will benefit from an increased awareness of standards in global real estate markets.
This will make it easier for real estate agents to facilitate global co-brokering agreements, which will help foreigners moving here.
The programmes are run once a year with about 30 participants enrolled for each course, which costs up to $1,700.
Five participants from Malaysia and the Philippines have completed one of the courses, and the IEA says that it expects up to 10 people from both countries to sign up for the next round.
This is scheduled to take place in the middle of next year.
Mr Foo said that Singapore's central location and infrastructure will encourage real estate agents from neighbouring countries, including Thailand and Vietnam, to enrol in the courses.
'It's more economical for them to travel here than all the way (to the United States). It's expensive if you think in terms of air tickets, hotels and time,' he pointed out.
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