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Posted on 1 เม.ย. 2568
68251
These days, conversations from three parties often sound like this.
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Agents complain 😤🗯️
"The owner asked me to inspect the property, but I haven’t even finished handling the other rooms yet.
It’s not that I won’t go—every room is damaged.
Now they say I’m unprofessional."
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Owners complain 😠📞
"Why is no one taking care of the room when things go wrong?
And the agent just vanished—again—after getting their commission.
Honestly, we should ask for it back."
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Tenants complain 😩❓
"We no longer feel safe living here.
Even if the building manager and maintenance team claim it’s safe,
look at these cracks in the wall—would you stay?
We gave notice to leave and still haven’t gotten our deposit back. The owner is heartless."
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What’s the root cause of all this?
It’s the simple fact that no one really understands
what their rights and responsibilities are.
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In Thailand, we aren’t taught much about this—
especially when it comes to legal literacy.
Most people only know about birth registration, death certificates, missing persons, and house moves.
Even when it comes to civil vs. criminal cases—
people still don’t understand what the police are responsible for.
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So in the end, everyone just blames one another
because they want others to do what they expect.
If we sit down to really unpack this, it would take forever.
But the most obvious thing right now is this:
#AgentsDon’tKnowWhatTheyShouldDo
and #OthersDon’tKnowWhatAgentsAreSupposedToDo
Let’s dig into this.
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This recent earthquake didn’t just shake buildings—
it shook the entire rental agent industry.
#AnUnregulatedProfessionInCrisis
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Many condos,
with both local and foreign tenants,
have started asking about building safety,
inspection updates, and
disaster prevention measures.
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But instead of acting as the "frontline,"
professional voice of information—
many agents went completely silent,
or gave inconsistent info,
undermining trust in the entire rental system.
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What’s truly worrying is that
this isn’t just a temporary issue.
It exposes a deep weakness in the profession’s foundation—
a fragile structure lacking industry standards.
Where does it all begin?
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1. A job anyone can do 🎭🚪
With no minimum qualifications in place.
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The root of the problem is:
Rental agents in Thailand operate in a legal grey zone.
There’s no strict law, no licensing requirement,
no mandatory training.
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Unlike other countries where agents must complete courses,
understand rental law, tenant rights, landlord obligations,
and emergency response—
anyone here can just claim to be an agent.
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There’s no tracking system,
no central regulatory body,
no ethics exam.
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This has led to a "gray image" for agents,
especially in the eyes of foreign clients,
and a loss of credibility.
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2. Renting Out = Job Done? 💸✌️🤷
The big misunderstanding that leaves a vacuum post-deal.
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Many agents believe that
once the lease is signed, their job is done.
No follow-ups.
No post-rental care.
And worst of all—
no idea how to respond during emergencies like earthquakes.
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Foreign tenants, in particular,
often expect after-sales service,
especially when renting through agents.
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But in reality?
Once the agent gets the commission,
tenants are left to figure everything out on their own.
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3. No comms team – no database – no crisis response plan 🚫📡📂🆘
When disaster strikes—
be it earthquake, flood, or fire—
agents should have access to centralized communication channels:
inspection reports, building management updates,
or evacuation guidelines.
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But most Thai agents don’t.
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They work solo.
No team.
No document management system.
No condo data archive.
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They can’t even answer basic questions like:
How old is the building?
When was the last structural check?
What repairs are scheduled?
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4. The freelance agent structure 🧱⚠️
No career development system in place.
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Most agents in Thailand work independently,
not under a major firm.
They don’t receive ongoing training,
nor updates on trends or legal changes.
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This leaves them ill-prepared to handle complex situations,
especially when crises happen simultaneously.
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There’s no central association or platform
to enforce professional minimums—
which is a critical weakness
hindering long-term industry growth.
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5. Loss of client trust = a vicious cycle 🔁💔😟
When tenants—especially expats—lose faith in local agents,
they turn to online platforms,
contact landlords directly,
or use agents from their own country.
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With no agent regulation law in Thailand,
local agents lose market share.
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And without efforts to rebuild trust or set standards,
the agent industry declines—
relegated to a "temporary job" instead of a lifelong profession.
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#SoWhat’sTheSolution? 💡🔍
It’s not just about asking agents to “have ethics.”
The industry needs structural reform.
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Based on 3 pillars:
✅ Professional standards
✅ Centralized support system
✅ Trust-building with clients
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1. Establish “minimum entry standards” for rental agents 📘✅
Mandatory training (e.g., online crash courses)
for those entering the rental profession.
Topics should include: rental law, tenant/owner rights,
emergency handling, and cross-cultural communication.
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The government or private sector should collaborate
to issue basic certifications—
building agent credibility and helping tenants choose wisely.
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Introduce an agent ranking system,
with client reviews after each deal—
to encourage real competition and growth.
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2. Create a central info and support hub for agents 🗂️🌐📞
A shared platform (perhaps via property associations
or large platforms like DDproperty or Livinginsider)
should include:
✅ Structural reports, building age, inspection logs
✅ Emergency contact info for each condo
✅ Licensed building inspection companies
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A real-time “alert system” for disasters—
floods, earthquakes, fires—
so agents can promptly notify tenants.
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Develop an Emergency Response Toolkit
to help agents answer key questions like:
“When was this building last inspected?”
“What safety protocols does the building have?”
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3. Turn “post-rental care” into a paid service 🛠️🤝💼
Most assume after-rental service is part of the commission.
It’s not.
Commissions only cover the deal-making and marketing.
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But due to high competition,
many agents try to "monopolize" the owner relationship—
offering extended services for free.
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This has warped the industry culture.
Foreign agents view it as:
“It makes yourself priceless.”
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Thai agents often don’t realize:
an agent’s true duty is to find tenants—that’s all.
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Trying to change that now is like rowing against the tide.
It’s become a problematic new normal.
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Agents should offer real post-rental care packages,
like Property Management (PM) or
Tenant Management Services (TMS).
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Examples: utility follow-ups,
legal translation help,
repair coordination,
tax or legal guidance.
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Do regular follow-ups every 3–6 months,
to check tenant satisfaction,
inspect unit condition,
and boost confidence for both parties.
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Build a “Partner Fix” network—
trusted handymen, cleaning teams,
disaster repair contractors—
so tenants always feel there’s a solution on hand.
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4. Implement a complaint and ethics system 📝⚖️🚨
Tenants should have real complaint channels—
with consequences like rating penalties,
or blacklist status on major platforms.
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Publish a list of certified agents
on major marketplaces
to pressure everyone to meet the standard.
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Promote standard contracts that clearly outline:
agents’ duties go beyond "finding tenants"
to include "initial safety & data handling" for tenants.
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5. Shift the mindset: from “broker” to “professional housing consultant” 🧠🔁🏢✨
As long as Thai agents see themselves as just matchmakers,
the profession won’t evolve.
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Now’s the time to reposition:
as Residential Consultants,
not just deal-makers.
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Providing accurate, transparent info—
especially in emergencies—
is what builds repeat clients
and strong referrals.
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If this vision becomes reality,
the Thai agent industry will finally become
a professional, sustainable,
and competitive career on the global stage.
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And Thai agents
will hold their heads high with pride and dignity. 😁
(Maybe I should run for head of the Agent Council!)
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