Never let an agent in your agency work on an expired licence

In Quintana Roo, real estate promotion, brokerage, administration, management and consultancy are governed by the State Real Estate Services Law (Ley de Prestación de Servicios Inmobiliarios), enforced by the Ministry of Sustainable Urban Territorial Development, SEDETUS (Article 1). Providing real estate services requires a current registration (matrícula) and real estate certificate (constancia) issued by the Ministry; only individuals holding them may present themselves as accredited real estate professionals or property administrators, and only registered companies may call themselves real estate agencies, whose staff must in turn hold their own registration as individuals (Article 5, third to fifth paragraphs).

The law classifies providers as real estate promoters, housing promoters, real estate advisers, real estate agencies and property administrators (Article 6). To enter the register, individuals prove identity, address, experience and training, tax registration and, where relevant, regular migration status with permission for paid work; companies file their articles of incorporation, the representative's power of attorney, address, the list of advisers acting on their behalf, who must be registered as individuals, and an express undertaking that those advisers will complete the required training, which is essential for later renewals of the company's registration (Article 8). Once the requirements are met, the Ministry issues the registration and certificate and adds them to the register (Article 9); the certificate states, among other details, the issue date, number and validity of the registration (Article 10, sections VI and VII).

The registration and certificate are valid for two or four years from issue and must be renewed and updated; for renewals the law grants a non-extendable period of up to thirty calendar days after expiry to complete the procedure, subject to the requirements of the law and its regulations (Article 11, first paragraph). At each renewal, personal details are updated and completion of the annual training and updating courses required and delivered by the Ministry with the State Real Estate Council is documented (Article 11, second paragraph). Training is mandatory in every category: 90 hours for the initial registration and 30 hours for renewal, evidenced by diplomas, certificates or attestations from recognised institutions, or certification in the sector's competence standard (Article 16).

Providers must obtain and renew their registration, pass the mandatory training programmes, report any change to their file in the Ministry's information system within 30 calendar days, allow inspection visits and show their registration to clients (Article 12, sections I to V and X). Agencies must have at least one responsible adviser, arrange the registration of the people they hire so they join the register within 90 calendar days and report hires and departures within 30 working days (Article 13); companies give written notice of advisers joining or leaving within the following thirty working days (Article 9, second paragraph). The public register shows registered providers with their validity and status (Article 24, section II).