As the first batch of government-trained brokers appear for an exam, real estate agents dissect the need for this initiative

Say the word lsquobrokerrsquo and yoursquoll struggle to come up with a visual to go with the profile Anyone from your local kiranawala to the sales executive in your office can double as a real estate agentCome September if you are looking to rent buy or sell your home you are likely to encounter an entirely different crop of peopleThe Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority MahaRERA is in the process of conducting training programmes for over 39000 real estate brokers across Maharashtra who are registered in its records The 20hour training programme with a syllabus designed over the last two years is aimed at changing the job description of brokers from being middlemen to being accountable for the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act 2016Some brokers have opted for the offline training sessions because it allows them the opportunity to network Pic CourtesyRemiMahaRERA is a governing and regulatory body established in 2017 that aims to make the sale of propety transparent protect the interests of buyers and create a redressal mechanism for the speedy resolution of disputes It was the first statelevel body in India to announce the course this January Those who undergo the course appear for an exam and bag a certificate that allows them to operate as brokersDespite initial resistance and uncertainty the government is firm on its stand of making the course mandatory for all brokers and for good reason says Sanjay Deshmukh a retired IAS officer who is now a nodal officer for MahaRERA ldquoIn an early training session I asked the participants simple questions Most of them were clueless and some had no idea what RERA stood forrdquoPiciStockThe incident that Deshmukh refers to occurred at the Real Estate Management Institute REMI in Mahalaxmi REMI is one of the four institutes in Maharashtra designated by MahaRERA as an official training centre Maria Coelho Academic Head REMI who was present at the session says ldquoThis is something we continue to observe among most brokers who come for training There was initial resistance but we have been seeing an uptick in enrollments since April The crowd is mixedmdashthe old school and the younger lot who are just starting out The course benefits both since itrsquos comprehensively designedrdquoThe exhaustive curriculum explains the details of the RERA Act functioning of the MahaRERA portal how agents must register and what their responsibilities entail real estate calculations and the due diligence that brokers must follow before facilitating a saleDeepak Katkade completes 22 years in this profession this year The Thanebased real estate agent works out of his office at Vrindavan Society one of the oldest housing complexes here and has a veritable network that extends way beyond He is in short a veteran And yet he welcomes the governmentrsquos new mandate ldquoThe move is aimed at making life easier for all of us Whatrsquos wrong with acquiring knowledge and credibilityrdquoMaria Coelho Sachit Jain Deepak Katkade Aniel Puthran and Ashish KukrejaSachit Jain is 27 and the first in his family to dabble in real estate sale He thinks itrsquos a fallacy that a brokerrsquos job is to simply sell ldquoIf we approach the profession with this mindset all we get is threadbare information like carpet area and possession date This information is passed through us from developer to customer But when a problem arises brokers tend to shirk responsibility by claiming ignorance This course teaches us the law and we are being made responsible as its enforcers It changes the perception of the broker Because itrsquos our business to safeguard customer interest we are bound to seek detailed information from the builder before taking up a property for salerdquo says Jain whose course starts on May 29Available in both online and offline formats the latter tend to be organised by various broker groups and have the likes of Coelho come and conduct the training The first exam will be held on May 20 where 457 brokers who have completed the preliminary training will appear at centres across 10 cities including Mumbai Thane Navi Mumbai Aurangabad Dhule Kolhapur Nagpur Nashik Pune and SolapurThere are those of course who are confused or skeptical Katkade for instance claims he is registered with RERA and is waiting for an intimation from the body about enrollment to the course Aniel Puthran a broker who has been 30 years in the profession and operates in Dombivli has his doubts about the exam process ldquoIrsquove been around long enough to see autorickshaw drivers introduce themselves as real estate brokers Irsquom not discounting that the course will offer a quality batch of brokers to serve the customer But does the answer lie in a multiplechoice questionnairerdquoBut the bigger fight they must win is against the belief that the broker neednrsquot exist at all Portals including No Broker and Magic Bricks have grown popular and social media groups have sprung up offering to connect home seekers and buyers directlyThe broker community is trying to counter the narrative with social media campaigns and initiatives of their own including the Say Yes To Brokers campaign launched in 2022 by Homesfyin a brokerage platform headquartered in Thane Homesfy has over the last three years created a network of 7500 brokers in Mumbai Pune Bengaluru Delhi Gurugram and Noida through technologybased tools that help them stay connected map market trends generate leads and grow together Homesfyin founderCEO Ashish Kukreja says ldquoThe Indian brokerage industry has been lacking in terms of elevated service standards and it is our endeavour to strengthen trust in homebuyers for brokers The younger generation specifically millennials not only favour digital solutions but also seek value convenience efficiency and costeffectiveness Enhancing service standards and assessing performance through these lenses will enable us to counter the antibroker sentimentrdquo