1997
Enactment of Estate Agents Ordinance
• Establishment of the Estate Agents Authority
• The late Dr Hon Marvin CHEUNG Kin-tung, GBS, OBE, JP was appointed the founding Chairman of the EAA
1999
• First batch of licences was granted to persons exempted from certain licensing requirements
• Issuance of Code of Ethics
Held the first qualifying examinations for estate agents and salespersons
Estate Agents Practice (General Duties and Hong Kong Residential Properties) Regulation came into effect
2000
Reduction of licence fees by 20%
2001
End of the three-year transition period of the licensing system - an important landmark in the trade’s progress towards professionalism as all new entrants must fulfill all licensing requirements without exemption from then
2002
Estate Agents (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulation 2001 came into effect. Licence fees were reduced by 30% and qualified licensees were allowed to renew their licences within 24 months from the lapse of their last held licences
2003
Dr Steven POON Kwok-lim, BBS, JP was appointed the Chairman of the EAA
2005
Launch of the Continuing Professional Development ("CPD") Scheme
2006
Introduction of Certificate of Attainment and Attainment symbol to encourage estate agents’ participation in CPD scheme
2007
Establishment of Section 28 Investigation Committee
10th Anniversary of the EAA
2008
Introduction of CPD Mark for Estate Agencies
Signing of agreement with the Guangzhou Real Estate Agent Service Administration Centre on Hong Kong practitioners obtaining a qualification to practise estate agency work in Guangzhou
Ms Vivien CHAN, SBS, JP was appointed the Chairman of the EAA
2009
Launch of a one-off, six-month licence fee concession scheme
2010
Issuance of three new practice circulars regulating estate agents’ sales practices of first-hand residential properties
Signing of agreement with the China Institute of Real Estate Appraisers and Agents ("CIREA") on mutual recognition of professional qualifications between Mainland and Hong Kong estate agents
2011
Completion of the first training course and examination for the scheme of mutual recognition of professional qualifications for estate agents in the Mainland and Hong Kong
2012
15th Anniversary of the EAA
2013
The practice circular requiring estate agents to provide "saleable area" for second-hand residential properties took effect
2014
Prof William LEUNG Wing-cheung, GBS, JP was appointed the Chairman of the EAA
2015
Awarded the first “Caring Organisation” logo from the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Launch of new consumer education initiative in the form of public seminars to enhance consumers’ knowledge relating to property transactions
2016
Launch of e-Services for online licence renewal application by individual licensees
Launch of the EAA’s Certificate Programme in Practice
Awarded the first batch of “Silver” Premium Symbol to eligible licensees under the CPD scheme
2017
Publication of disciplinary decisions with the reasons for the decisions for achieving greater transparency
Launch of a new consumer education website, "Be Smart in Appointing Estate Agents"
Signing of agreement with the CIREA to renew the mutual recognition of professional qualifications scheme for estate agents in the Mainland and Hong Kong
20th Anniversary of the EAA
• Second training course and examination for the scheme of mutual recognition of professional qualifications for estate agents in the Mainland and Hong Kong completed
• Issuance of new practice circular on the sale of uncompleted properties situated outside Hong Kong
2018
Signing of the Charter on the Sales of First-hand Residential Properties with developers for maintaining good order at sale sites
The EAA’s first purchased office in use
The EAA and trade representatives attended the Mutual Evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force on the compliance and effectiveness of Hong Kong’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime
Awarded the first batch of “Gold” Premium Symbol to eligible licensees under the CPD scheme
2019
The first CSR activity organised by the EAA with the estate agency trade to clean up the Hong Kong shorelines
Launch of computer-based examination for the Salespersons Qualifying Examination
The EAA’s “5A Agent” publicity campaign promoting the “5A” qualities of professional estate agents was awarded the “Education Award (Consumer Education)” by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials ("ARELLO"), an international recognition
2020
The EAA announced to offer a one-off professional development subsidy to eligible individual licensees
Under the second round of Anti-epidemic Fund, the Government provided a one-off cash subsidy equivalent to two years’ licence fees to eligible individual licensees through the EAA
“Estate Agents Community Service Proposal Competition” successfully held, with positive participation from the trade
Ms Elaine LIU, JP was appointed the Chairman of the EAA
2021
Two educational outreach teams set up to assist the estate agency trade in complying with AML and advertisement-related requirements
The EAA’s second purchased office in the same building in use
188 estate agency shops awarded the “CPD Mark”, the highest number recorded in the last ten years
2022
• The EAA held an online ceremony for the “Estate Agents Energy Saving Award Scheme” and awarded 387 estate agency shops
• Launched new educational campaign with a new slogan “To Buy or not to buy off-plan properties outside Hong Kong, assess the risks before you buy!”
The EAA received the "Grand Prize Award" (2020-22) from Employees Retraining Board
Mr Simon SIU Chak-yu, BBS, JP was appointed the Chairman of the EAA
25th Anniversary of the EAA