Case studies: first-hand sales

First-sale cases test the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance (Cap. 621) timetable and the EAA circulars on conduct at sales sites, from the point of view of the agency that runs the team: who may be deployed, who commands them, what must be filed with the EAA, and what each salesperson may say and take. Most marks come from dates, documents and banned conduct.

Part II · Land search & case studies6 min read7 sections

Checked against the EAA Examination Handbook (paper-based), August 2026, paras 4.3 and 4.4; Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance (Cap. 621), sections 8, 10, 25, 29 to 35, 42, 47, 52, 53, 58 to 61, 75 and 76; SRPA pamphlet (2/2023), panels and FAQ; EAA Practice Circulars Nos. 13-04, 15-01, 17-02, 18-03, 23-02 and 24-01 (CR); checked 11 Oct 2026.

Must-know for the exam

EAQE Part II: 20 questions on one or two case studies, 40 marks; pass needs 24 in Part II and 36 of 60 in Part I.
Sales brochure available at least 7 days before sale; price list and sales arrangements at least 3 days before (Cap. 621, ss.25, 32, 47).
Saleable area is the only basis for size and price per square foot or metre; it includes balcony, utility platform and verandah, not bay windows, cocklofts or flat roofs (s.8).
PASP: 5% preliminary deposit. Purchaser signs the ASP within 5 working days or the PASP ends and the deposit is forfeited; owner signs within 8 working days (ss.52, 53).
Under Cap. 621, Saturdays, general holidays and black rainstorm or gale warning days are not working days.
Each agency appoints a Commander-in-Chief per development or phase: estate agent's licence, 10 years licensed with 5 in management or a principal, no EAA discipline in 3 years (Circular 18-03 (CR)).
At least one day before launch, file with the EAA the staff list, chain-of-command chart and deployment policy; keep a daily duty register (Circular 18-03 (CR)).
No loans to buyers, no deposits without the vendor's authority, no mortgage assurances; transaction data only from the register of transactions (Circular 13-04 (CR)).
Fraudulent or reckless misrepresentation or false information to induce a purchase: up to HK$5,000,000 and 7 years (ss.76, 78).

On this page · 7 sections

Traps that cost marks

Checking only the 7-day period and missing that the brochure itself was more than 3 months old.
Stopping at the 50-unit floor without comparing it with 20% of the development.
Applying the 10-year test to everyone and missing the director route, or overlooking a reprimand within the last 3 years.
Borrowing the 3-day Cap. 621 period, or treating the staff list as something sent on the day.
Thinking the vendor's consent can authorise unlicensed staff or a larger team.
Treating price lists as something staff may hand out only in exchange for a visitor's contact details.
Thinking the agency escapes liability because it did not authorise the employee's act.
Mixing up what goes in the price list with what goes in the sales arrangements.

Why this matters in the exam

First sales are where the EAA has seen the worst conduct: fights at sales offices, intercepted cars, loans to buyers, misused credit cards. That is why EAQE cases set first-sale facts from the agency's side: the director who appoints the team, the Commander-in-Chief who controls it, and the salespersons who face buyers. The Ordinance supplies the dates; the circulars supply the conduct rules and the management duties.

Build the timeline from the dates in the case before reading the options. Several periods differ by only a day or two, and working days under Cap. 621 skip Saturdays.

The statutory timetable

Event	Rule	Cap. 621
Sales brochure	Available at least 7 days before sale; printed or revised within the previous 3 months	s.25
Price list	At least 3 days before sale; minimum units per list by development size	ss.30, 32
Price change	Revise that price list; sell at the new price only 3 days after	ss.29, 32, 35
Sales arrangements	Published at least 3 days before sale: date, place, units, priority method	s.47

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