Busan City to Conduct Real Estate Brokerage Supervision and Inspection in First Half of Year... Focus on Residential Safety for Citizens

Preventing Jeonse Fraud and Creating a Transparent Real Estate Brokerage Environment, Promotion, Education, and Supervision

Citizen Engagement Campaign Launched... Administrative Guidance Including Supervision of Licensed Realtors

Busan Metropolitan City has continued to conduct guidance and inspections of real estate brokerage businesses in the first half of this year to prevent Jeonse fraud and establish order in real estate brokerage transactions.

The city conducts annual guidance and inspections (crackdowns) on real estate brokerage businesses as well as comprehensive surveys of real estate brokers.

In the first half of this year, the city carried out emergency crackdowns on illegal activities in cooperation with local districts, engaged with citizens on the streets such as Daehak-ro, and distributed promotional materials outlining "Precautions Before and After Jeonse Contracts" to both citizens and licensed real estate agents.

In March of this year, following reports of illegal brokerage activities, the city conducted a large-scale crackdown on 188 real estate offices around university areas in Busan in cooperation with local districts (Nam, Saha, Geumjeong, Sasang), focusing on violations in Jeonse and monthly rental contracts.

Additionally, from January to June, district and county-level inspection teams were organized to detect violators and take administrative actions. In particular, a comprehensive background check was conducted on all real estate brokers, resulting in the identification and administrative disposition of 17 unqualified individuals (such as those with criminal records).

Furthermore, under the slogan "Preventing Jeonse Fraud On the Go," the city worked with Saha-gu to raise public awareness about Jeonse fraud prevention, distributing 25,000 promotional leaflets containing "Precautions Before and After Jeonse Contracts" in major university areas and nearby real estate agencies.

Since the second half of last year, the city has designated "Model Real Estate Brokerage Offices" to provide free consultation services for safe Jeonse and monthly rental contracts. In addition, in the first half of this year, the city expanded the designation of "Global Brokerage Offices" to actively prevent Jeonse fraud among foreigners residing in Busan.

Anyone can receive free telephone or in-person consultations at the 100 designated "Model Real Estate Brokerage Offices." So far, 247 free consultations have been provided, including guidance on precautions when signing housing lease contracts and support in searching for residential properties.

Additionally, a total of 74 "Global Brokerage Offices" that meet foreign language (English, Japanese, Chinese) criteria have been designated, implementing Jeonse fraud prevention policies for foreigners and keeping pace with the global era.

With amendments to the Licensed Real Estate Agents Act and related enforcement rules, the city has provided detailed information on relevant legal provisions on its official website to ensure safer Jeonse and monthly rental transactions for citizens.

This information can be found in the integrated city website announcements or in the real estate trends (useful information) section.

Districts and counties are also providing practical training for licensed real estate agents on preventing real estate transaction accidents and professional ethics to help prevent Jeonse fraud.

In the first half of this year, local districts (Seo, Yeongdo, Busanjin, Geumjeong, Suyeong) invited lecturers and provided training to more than 1,000 licensed real estate agents on preventing transaction accidents and professional ethics.

When brokerage-related complaints arise, administrative actions are taken according to the severity of the violation, and in minor cases, administrative guidance is provided to hold real estate agents accountable.

In the first half of the year (January to June), 3,656 locations were inspected, 589 violations were detected, and 557 cases were addressed. Separately, 47 cases subject to penalties (criminal charges) were reported, and 213 fines were imposed for violations related to the display and advertisement of brokerage properties in the online advertising market.

Im Wonseop, Director of Urban Space Planning for the city, stated, "The city will continue to strengthen the professional ethics of licensed real estate agents and conduct on-site guidance and inspections to create a safe residential environment and prevent Jeonse fraud. We will make every effort in real estate policy so that citizens, including those in their 20s and 30s, can enjoy a pleasant residential life in Busan."