Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals says a public registry of certified state real estate agents is in the works. The public registry is being put together so purchasers can hire licensed professionals and the Association can deal with illegal agents.
Miguel Ángel Lemus Mateos, the Coordinating President of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI) for Region 18, says they will combat real estate piracy with the registry of accredited people.
“We are going to publish a registry so that the market is aware of those who are accredited to work as real estate professionals which will combat empiricism and bad practices,” Lemus Mateos said.
The Real Estate Provision and Services Law of the State of Quintana Roo, which was approved by State Congress in 2014, prohibits non-licensed people from practicing as real estate agents, he said.
Lemus Mateos also says every professional who wants to participate in real estate must register with the Secretariat for Agrarian, Land and Urban Development (Secretaría de Desarrollo Agrario, Territorial y Urbano), the Mexican cabinet agency in charge of agriculture, urban development and living space.
“What is needed to be able to provide agents in an accredited manner before the state government, before society and before investors, buyers of assets of their houses, condominiums and businesses,” he added.
“To be registered as a real estate advisor, the interested person must respectively prove the following aspects including valid official identification with a photograph, proof of home address, demonstrate with proof of criminal records that you have not committed property crimes in addition to participating in training and being registered with SAT (tax administration),” he explained.
“While in the case of foreigners, they must prove their immigration status to carry out paid activities and minimum requirements that people need to obtain their professional license from the state authority,” he added, stating that there is also the State Real Estate Council that regulates this activity.
“To regulate this activity there is the State Real Estate Council, which was created as an auxiliary technical body of the secretary that promotes the study, analysis, professionalization and makes decisions in the field of the provision of real estate services, chaired by the Secretary of Urban Development, the Government Secretary, Cristina Torres, the Director of the Public Property Registry and the representatives of organizations such as AMPI and CANACO,” he explained.
According to Lemus Mateos, there are 665 AMPI (Asociación Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios) certified real estate agents in Cancun, 131 in Playa del Carmen, 141 in Puerto Morelos, 35 in Tulum, 20 in Cozumel and 12 for Chetumal.
“At the national level we have more than 3,000 federal certifications and this year we are starting the first AMPI-UNAM diploma, so we are fighting for training,” he said.
