Uncovering Real Estate Broker Certification Fraud

Unusual fee right in the exam room

According to the 2014 Real Estate Business Law, organizations and individuals engaged in real estate brokerage services must establish a business and have at least 02 people with a brokerage practice certificate. In addition, individuals have the right to independently engage in real estate brokerage services but must have a brokerage practice certificate.

Notably, the new Real Estate Business Law (effective from 1.8.2024) stipulates that real estate brokers must have a practice certificate and stricter related conditions than before.

Close to this deadline, reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper recorded a bustling scene of studying and taking real estate brokerage certification exams.

At 4 a.m. on June 23, 3 buses stopped at a pick-up point on Tay Son Street (Dong Da District, Hanoi), hundreds of people flocked onto the buses with the destination being Tan Trao University, Tuyen Quang Province.

This is the location where the real estate brokerage certification exam organized by the Tuyen Quang Department of Construction and the Lien Viet Real Estate Training Institute - Branch of Lien Viet Education Joint Stock Company (Dong Da, Hanoi) will take place.

Previously, posing as a "land broker" wanting to obtain a brokerage certificate, a Lao Dong reporter participated in a course organized by the Lien Viet Real Estate Training Institute. After about a month of "nominal" studying and paying a fee of 2 million VND, the reporter and other candidates officially entered the exam.

At 6:30 a.m. at Tan Trao University, the number of candidates arriving increased. This group, as observed, was also very diverse, covering all ages.

When asked about the preparation process for the exam, a candidate born in 1975 half-jokingly said: "At this age, how can I study? If I knew the law, I would be a lawyer, not a land broker suffering like this."

But why take the exam if you can't study? At this point, the reporter was explained by a fellow candidate that the early arrivals were not to review knowledge but to pay a "fee" before the exam.

Accordingly, each candidate would pay a "fee" of 200,000 VND. This fee was passed among the candidates as "water money" to make the exam process smoother.

"That money is for the proctors to make it easier. Each person pays 200,000 VND, 100,000 VND in the morning and 100,000 VND in the afternoon. I paid to the lady in the purple shirt (another candidate in the exam room)" - another candidate told the reporter.

As an accepted unwritten rule, the candidates paid the money about 15 minutes before the official exam time.

Openly copying, blatant cheating

Two proctors entered the exam room, calling out the names and numbers of each candidate. The first subject exam was Basic Knowledge, with a 90-minute time limit and no use of materials allowed.

However, as instructed beforehand, each candidate had prepared small printed cheat sheets. The exam questions were almost entirely covered in the materials. A few minutes into the exam, blatant and brazen cheating began.

The candidates whispered questions like "Which question is number 3 in the essay section on the cheat sheet?" or someone even asked to tear off parts of the cheat sheet to copy faster.

And the candidates freely copied the materials in the exam room. Direct observation by the reporter showed that despite the blatant cheating, the proctors did not take any action to prevent or handle it according to the regulations.

Subsequently, in the afternoon exam for the Professional Knowledge subject, similar cheating scenes occurred.

Candidates openly placed the cheat sheets on the table to easily "check" the answers or compared their exams with each other to avoid discrepancies. Towards the end of the exam, the certification exam room became more chaotic and disorderly...

Some candidates confided that although they didn't know a single word of theory and had no practical experience, they were confident in their "professional knowledge" after copying the cheat sheets.

After the exam ended, the reporter had a conversation with Mr. Tran Viet Hung - Deputy Director of the Tuyen Quang Department of Construction. He confirmed that the real estate brokerage certification exam had proceeded smoothly and according to regulations.

"Of course, we have to follow the process" - Mr. Hung said, adding that the number of certificates issued in this exam is being compiled.

On July 23, the reporter continued to contact Mr. Pham Quoc Chuong - Director of the Tuyen Quang Department of Construction to arrange an interview about the organization of this exam.

However, Mr. Chuong responded that: "The department has just conducted one class, so there isn't much information on the content you're interested in" and "I'll discuss it with my colleagues and get back to you later".

Subsequently, the reporter sent an introduction letter and the topics to be discussed, including the question: "Did the Tuyen Quang Department of Construction detect or receive reports of negative behavior, cheating, or violations of regulations in this exam?" Currently, the Tuyen Quang Department of Construction has not responded to these issues.