Gwangju City Introduces Model Real Estate Agencies to Prevent Jeonse Fraud

30 Offices Designated After Review of Transaction Records
Plaques and Certificates Provided... Free Contract Consultations

Signboard design for Gwangju City Model Real Estate Agency. Provided by Gwangju City.

The city of Gwangju announced on the 26th that it has introduced the "Model Real Estate Brokerage Office System" to prevent rental fraud and allow all citizens to safely conduct real estate transactions and consultations, designating 30 offices. The model real estate brokerage offices are distributed as follows: 3 in Dong-gu, 7 in Seo-gu, 4 in Nam-gu, 8 in Buk-gu, and 8 in Gwangsan-gu.

From the 8th to the 21st of last month, the city accepted applications for "Model Real Estate Brokerage Offices" from among 3,647 local certified real estate offices that had been in operation for more than five years without any business suspension. After document and on-site evaluations, 30 offices were finally selected. Prior to designation, the city researched advanced cases and, in cooperation with the Gwangju branch of the Korea Association of Realtors, established 14 evaluation criteria including eligibility, brokerage practices, transaction records, and administrative disposition history to ensure a fair and transparent process.

The designated model brokerage offices will be valid for two years from March 1 next month until February 28, 2027. The city plans to provide these model offices with a designation plaque and certificate.

The model real estate brokerage offices will offer citizens services such as: ▲free consultations for safe rental contracts (jeonse/wolse), ▲accompaniment services for contract signing, ▲guidance on precautions to prevent rental fraud, ▲pre-transaction legal consultations, and ▲information on important considerations and dispute resolution methods when requesting brokerage services.

Kim Giho, Director of the Land Information Division, said, "We expect the designation of model real estate brokerage offices to greatly contribute to preventing rental fraud and protecting citizens' property rights," adding, "We will work with the Association of Realtors to improve the quality of services provided by real estate brokerage offices."