Operating Without a Licence: REB Warns Public as Unlicensed Real Estate Agents Continue to Surface Across Jamaica

• REB warns unlicensed agents operating across residential and commercial property markets.
• Engaging an unlicensed agent offers no consumer protection under the REDDA.
• Unlicensed operators cannot legally hold client funds or collect commissions.
• REB operates a public online register where any agent’s licence can be verified.
• Licence renewal runs annually; a valid card from last year does not mean currently licensed.

The Real Estate (Dealers and Developers) Act (REDDA) requires every person who buys, sells, leases, or offers for sale or lease any real estate on behalf of another person — in exchange for a fee, commission, or other compensation — to hold a current licence issued by the Real Estate Board (REB). Operating as a real estate dealer or salesperson without such a licence is a criminal offence under the Act, punishable on conviction by a fine or imprisonment.

Despite this, the REB receives regular complaints about unlicensed operators: individuals who hold themselves out as real estate agents, collect deposits and commissions, and then either disappear with the funds or fail to complete transactions they had no legal standing to facilitate. In some cases, unlicensed operators have continued to practise after their licence expired — presenting old licence cards to clients who do not know to check the REB register for current status.

What a Licence Means — and What It Doesn’t

A REB licence confirms that the holder has met the minimum educational and character requirements set by the Board, is registered to operate as a real estate professional, and is subject to the Board’s disciplinary jurisdiction. A licensed agent who misappropriates funds, makes misrepresentations, or otherwise breaches their professional obligations can be reported to the REB, which has the power to suspend or revoke the licence and to refer the matter to law enforcement.

An unlicensed operator, by contrast, is entirely outside this regulatory framework. There is no licence to revoke, no professional registration to discipline, and no client protection fund to compensate victims. A client defrauded by an unlicensed operator’s civil claim depends entirely on identifying the individual and enforcing any judgment — which, in practice, is often very difficult.

How to Verify

The REB maintains a public online register of all currently licensed dealers and salespersons at reb.gov.jm. Before engaging any real estate professional — and before paying any commission, fee, or deposit — members of the public should search this register using the agent’s name or company name. A result confirming current, active registration is required. A result showing an expired licence, no licence, or a name that does not appear on the register at all should prompt the individual to disengage and, if funds have already changed hands, to report the matter to the REB and to the police.

The REB also encourages members of the public who encounter persons representing themselves as licensed real estate professionals but who do not appear on the register to report this directly to the Board. Enforcement action against unlicensed operators can only proceed when the REB is aware they are operating. Contact details and the public licence register are available at reb.gov.jm.