Intermediaries fear industry monopolisation and higher costs for consumers
The Association of Real Estate Specialists of Ukraine has criticised the initiative by members of parliament to reform the sector. Market participants see risks in the mandatory membership in a single professional union. This was reported by Glavcom, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Representatives of the professional community insist on maintaining competition among realtor associations. The main dispute concerns the parliamentarians’ plans to create a centralised body empowered to conduct exams, issue certificates, and review complaints against specialists.
Market monopolisation risks
The President of the Association, Olena Haidamakha, emphasised that introducing a unified control structure poses a threat of corruption and the restriction of realtor rights. According to her, professionals should have a free choice of which organisation to join rather than being forced into a single institution.
Another factor of concern is the potential increase in prices for intermediary services. Since meeting new regulatory requirements and paying membership fees will require additional financial resources, these costs will likely be passed on to end-consumers—buyers and sellers of property.
Limits of mediator liability
Separately, the Association focused on the issue of professional liability during real estate transactions. They stress that a realtor does not hold the status of a notary or lawyer and therefore cannot undertake a full technical or legal verification of an object.
“We simply collect information, pass it to the parties, and ensure the deal happens—we negotiate,” noted Olena Haidamakha. According to her explanations, the intermediary’s function is limited to facilitating communication between the parties involved in a deal.
Parliamentarians’ position
For her part, Member of Parliament Olena Shuliak, who is promoting these changes, argues that a unified union is necessary to improve the quality of services. She warns that if there are many small associations, they may compete with each other only by simplifying exams or lowering standards for their members.
To mitigate concerns about abuse, the draft law includes certain safeguards. Specifically, it limits annual fees to two minimum wages, ensures the transparency of disciplinary committee meetings, and guarantees the right to appeal decisions in court.
Photo: Олена Гайдамаха
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