PRC Releases Revised Guidelines on the Accreditation and Supervision of Real Estate Salespersons

The Professional Regulatory Board of Real Estate Service (PRBRES) released revised guidelines on the accreditation and supervision of Real Estate Salespersons on November 27, 2024, through Board Resolution No. 158 (A) Series of 2024. The guidelines are effective as of November 28, 2024.

Compared to the initial guidelines released in 2021 through PRBRES Board Resolution No. 11, PRBRES has addressed several questions from practitioners in the real estate industry.

Training Program for Accrediting Real Estate Salespersons

PRBRES has changed the name of the training program for accrediting new salespersons to the Real Estate Brokerage Seminar for Real Estate Salespersons (REBSRES). The training program still requires participants to complete twelve (12) seminar hours.

Additionally, the content of the training program has been updated. In the first three (3) hours, it is now required to include discussions regarding the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (now DHSUD) Resolutions Nos. 921 and 922, Presidential Decree No. 957, Batas Pambansa Blg. 220, and its amendments.

Documentary Requirements

Real Estate Salespersons are still required to have completed at least two years of college education or its equivalent based on the CHED Memorandum Order/Circular. PRBRES, however, emphasizes that NC II programs of TESDA are not acceptable until CHED issues an Expanded Tertiary Education and Equivalency Accreditation Program (ETEEAP).

An electronic copy of the Certificate of Completion is now accepted. Furthermore, the certificate should include the attendee’s picture and other security features. The certificate should also reflect the topics covered and the number of hours attended.

The certificate shall be valid only for one (1) year from the date of issuance.

Application for Accreditation

The processing of accreditation will now be conducted online and through the regional offices of the PRC.

Applicants must create transactions online for their initial accreditation. The applicant shall register and create a transaction at online.prc.gov.ph and schedule through their preferred PRC Regional Office (PRC-RO) and pay the prescribed fees online.

PRC-RO staff will check the application details. If there are any incomplete or incorrect uploaded documents, the applicant will be notified through email.

Once all application details are correct and complete, PRC-RO staff will draft the resolution. Then, the resolution will be reviewed by the Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) within five (5) working days. The PRB Secretariat will notify the PRC-RO of any disapproval or deferment for appropriate action.

Initial Registration

PRBRES emphasizes the process of initial registration after oath-taking. This section highlights the importance of the oath form before real estate salespersons can conduct business. Three (3) requirements are needed upon initial registration:

1. Signed system-generated oath form with Documentary Stamp Tax;
2. Proof of attendance at the Oath-taking Ceremony; and
3. Payment of the prescribed fee.

It is also important that the registrant uses the LERIS account for appointment scheduling and selects the payment option.

On the scheduled date, the registrant may claim the Accreditation Card (A-card) and sign the releasing log sheet after the documentary requirements are checked and attendance at the oath-taking ceremony has been validated.

Renewal of A-Card

The renewal of the A-Card shall be done through PRC Online LERIS and processed at the PRC-RO. If there are findings of incomplete or incorrect documents, the PRC-RO staff will notify the salesperson via email.

Dislodging or Removing an Accredited RES under the Supervising Licensed REB

The supervising licensed REB must submit a Request Form (RF) for dislodgement to the LRD-AS at the Regional Office within fifteen (15) days from termination based on the following grounds:

1. Death;
2. When the RES becomes a registered and licensed Real Estate Broker (REB);
3. Abuse or non-performance of the delegated real estate brokerage services or practices, as stated in the Certification issued by the supervising licensed REB;
4. Allowing unauthorized, unlicensed, or unaccredited individual(s) to use his/her accreditation or delegating the duties granted by the supervising licensed REB;
5. Practicing real estate brokerage before the Oath-taking as RES and/or registration;
6. Unethical conduct in practicing the real estate brokerage profession;
7. Violation of the provisions of RA No. 9646, its IRR, issued guidelines, the Code of Ethics, its codification, and these guidelines; and
8. Other valid and/or justified causes that would sever the relationship between the Accredited RES and the supervising licensed REB.

Validity of RES Accreditation

The validity of the accreditation of the Real Estate Salesperson shall be co-terminus with the validity of the PIC of the supervising licensed REB,which shall not be more than three (3) years.

Application and Renewal Representative

The application and/or renewal of a RES shall be filed by the supervising licensed REB or the REB’s atty-in-fact assisted by the RES-applicant.