Supervision of member companies

Supervision of member companies 

General supervision of brokers 

The Regional State Administrative Agencies supervise compliance with the Act on Real Estate Brokerage and Letting Agencies. If you suspect any incorrect action in real estate brokerage, you can report it to the Competition and Consumer Affairs Department of the Regional State Administrative Agencies. The report must be made in writing. More detailed instructions and contact details of the Regional State Administrative Agencies can be found on the website of the Regional State Administrative Agencies. 

Own supervision by the Finnish Real Estate Agents’ Association

The Finnish Real Estate Agents’ Association (SKVL) supervises the operations of its member companies in addition to the Regional State Administrative Agencies and requires that the member companies act in accordance with the brokerage legislation and good agency practice. A written complaint can be lodged with SKVL about the conduct of a company that is a member of SKVL. The complaint should be sent by e-mail to liitto@skvl.fi or by post to SKVL ry, Kalevankatu 4, 3rd floor, 00100 Helsinki. 

After receiving the complaint, SKVL will request a written statement from the broker. If the case is clearly such that it does not warrant further action, or if the complainant withdraws his/her complaint before it is discussed by the Ethics Committee, the presenting official may decide to dismiss the case. Complaints submitted anonymously or where the complainant’s or the case’s details are not sufficiently clear, even after a request for clarification, will not be considered. However, such complaints will be filed. 

If the letter of complaint may give rise to further action, the complaint and the resulting report will be dealt with by the Ethics Committee on complaints concerning SKVL members. The Ethics Committee may decide to dismiss the case. Further clarification may be sought from the parties as necessary. The Ethics Committee has the right to reprimand a member of SKVL for conduct contrary to law, good agency practice or the Association’s own guidelines or regulations. In the event of serious misconduct or negligence on the part of a member, the Ethics Committee may, instead of issuing a reprimand, propose to the Board that a warning be issued to the member. In repeated or exceptionally serious cases, the Committee may also propose to the Association’s Board of Directors that the member be dismissed. 

Cases are always handled in a way that takes into account the individuality of the case. The proceedings are conducted in writing and there is no possibility of taking personal evidence. Written statements by third parties will also be disregarded. 

Both parties will be informed of the reasons for the decisions taken in the case. 

The Committee deals with complaints in accordance with the rules of procedure laid down by the Board of Directors of the Association. You can find the rules of procedure here. 

The composition of the Committee is confirmed by the Association’s Board of Directors for a calendar year at a time. Unless otherwise decided in a particular case, the presenting official of the Committee is the lawyer of the Association. 

For more information, please contact SKVL office.