SQE The estate agency trade in Hong Kong question: milestones in the statutory regulation of Hong Kong’s estate agency trade

Answer: B. Working Group on the Regulation of Estate Agents appointed; Estate Agents Ordinance passed; Estate Agents Authority established; licensing regime in force

Answer: Working Group, then the Ordinance, then the Authority, then licensing. The Working Group was appointed in November 1993 and reported in August 1994; the Legislative Council passed the Estate Agents Ordinance (EAO) on 21 May 1997; the Estate Agents Authority (EAA) was established on 1 November 1997; the licensing regime took effect on 1 January 1999. Why not the others: - Ordinance before the Working Group: the Ordinance implemented the Working Group’s 1994 recommendations, so it came later. - Authority first: the Authority is a body set up under the Ordinance, so it could not exist before the Ordinance was passed. - Licensing before the Ordinance: licensing is a requirement of the Ordinance and its Licensing Regulation, so it could only start after both existed. Rule: Working Group (Nov 1993) → report (Aug 1994) → EAO passed (21 May 1997) → EAA established (1 Nov 1997) → licensing in force (1 Jan 1999). Source: EAA, A Study Guide to Estate Agency Law and Practice, Part 1, paras 29–32 and Part 2, para 21; Estate Agents (Licensing) Regulation (Cap. 511A), s.2 ("implementation date" means 1 January 1999); as at Oct 2026