Attention those posting real estate ads on social media! Accounts will be closed after that date

With the regulatory changes made by the Ministry of Trade on August 31, 2023, identity and authorization verification obligations were imposed on listing platforms where real estate and vehicle advertisements are published, in order to prevent fake listings, listing clutter, speculative price increases, and consumer grievances. In line with this, identity verification for individuals wishing to post listings began on November 1, 2023, as the first phase of the Electronic Listing Verification System (EİİDS).

The second phase of the EİİDS, the authorization verification application, which prevents individuals who have not verified their identity from posting on listing platforms, will become mandatory for rental real estate listings as of January 1, 2025. In the coming period, authorization verification will also be made mandatory for real estate for sale and vehicle listings. With the EİİDS authorization verification application, listings can only be posted by the owner of the real estate/vehicle, their 1st and 2nd-degree blood relatives, their spouse, or by authorized real estate or gallery businesses that have been granted authorization via the EİİDS authorization screen on e-Devlet.

With the regulation covering all listings posted in electronic environments, including social media, all real estate and vehicle listings in electronic environments have begun to be meticulously monitored by the Ministry. As a result of the examinations conducted within this scope, administrative fines were imposed on two social media platforms found to be engaged in listing activities contrary to the regulation, while 1,426 social media accounts have been blocked to date. It was reported that necessary sanctions will continue to be applied to listings published in violation of the regulations introduced by EİİDS in the coming period, and that authorization certificates will also be revoked.

THE SCOPE OF THE REGULATION WILL BE EXPANDED FURTHER

Stating that those engaged in real estate and vehicle trading should not share listings from their social media accounts, Denizli Chamber of Commerce Assembly Clerk and Real Estate Activities Committee Member Volkan Gürsoy said, "It is important for businesses engaged in real estate and vehicle trading to act in accordance with this matter so that their social media accounts are not blocked and they do not face other administrative sanctions. Our citizens should also not rely on real estate and vehicle listings on social media to avoid grievances.

As the Denizli Chamber of Commerce, we came together with relevant public units and organized an expanded regional meeting. One of the issues we raised at this meeting was the real estate clutter circulating on social media. In the press release announced by our Ministry of Trade today, they stated that the work on the subject has been put into operation, nearly 1,500 social media accounts have been closed, and that legal proceedings have been paved as the next step.

It was stated that the Electronic Internet Verification System will be activated not only for rental transactions but also for real estate for sale. It was stated that actions up to the cancellation of the real estate agent's authorization certificate could be taken regarding listings uploaded contrary to the system. This is a warning to our colleagues: obtain the authorizations for the listings you have in full, and when including them in your system, ensure the accuracy of your figures and square meter prices," he said.

"REAL ESTATE IS A PRIMARY PROFESSION, NOT A SIDE JOB"

Noting that the regulations aim to make the real estate sector transparent and prevent grievances, Gürsoy said:

"It is not possible to recover rights lost in any adverse situation within the system. The system we call the Electronic Internet Verification System is a system that the Ministry of Trade introduced to us on November 1, 2023, which is currently only active for rentals and will also be used for sales starting in 2025. Within this system, it covers the authorization that the property owner has given via e-Devlet in order to post a listing in an electronic environment. Thus, the authenticity of the listings provided is increased, and price accuracy and tax balance are ensured in financial terms. This decision serves to protect the rights of those operating in this sector and shows that real estate is a primary profession, not a side job."

News Source: İHA