KUALA LUMPUR: PropertyGuru Malaysia has introduced the PropertyGuru Verified Badge for property agents on its platform, in partnership with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (LPPEH), to curb property scams in the local market.
PropertyGuru Malaysia country manager Kenneth Soh said the initiative is tailored for Malaysia, where consumer awareness remains lower compared with its other markets.
“This particular push is Malaysia-specific. The badge helps prevent scams by ensuring consumers can easily identify verified professionals with traceable details, giving them recourse if anything goes wrong,” he said at the official launch yesterday.
He said Vietnam already has verified agents and listings, while Singapore’s smaller market benefits from stronger consumer awareness, making risks more manageable.
In contrast, many Malaysians are still unclear on how to verify an agent’s licence. Soh said this gap has fuelled rental scams, one of the most common fraud tactics, where conmen pose as agents, show units booked on short-term rental platforms and disappear after collecting deposits.
“Scammers are getting more and more creative. By starting from the discovery stage, we want consumers to look for verified agents on PropertyGuru. We have their identify card, licence tag and phone number, so if anything happens, there is recourse. Without verification, consumers are often left with no way to trace the scammer,” he added.
Soh said over 100 had already been verified on the day of its soft launch (Monday), and numbers are expected to rise quickly. PropertyGuru currently has close to 10,000 agents in Malaysia.
“Our target is to get as close to 100% as possible within the year, depending on submissions from our agent partners and the verification process through eKYC and licence checks,” he said.
Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department head SAC Mohd Razali Mohd Idrus said property-related scams have become increasingly sophisticated, often involving impersonation of licensed agents to deceive unsuspecting buyers and tenants.
“Public awareness and preventive measures are critical. PDRM welcomes collaborative initiatives such as PropertyGuru’s Verified Badge, which can help Malaysians make safer property decisions and reduce opportunities for market exploitation,” he said.
The PropertyGuru Verified Badge is awarded to registered real estate negotiators, real estate agents and probationary estate agents with active licences via LPPEH which completes PropertyGuru’s secure verification process.
This process involves confirming agents’ identity through eKYC, validating their professional licence details, verifying their registered contact information and acknowledging the Verified Badge terms. Once completed, the PropertyGuru Verified Badge will appear on the agent or negotiator’s profile, listings, and search results, making it easier for property seekers to engage with legitimate professionals.
According to the LPPEH, unlicensed individuals defrauded more than 1,500 victims, resulting in nearly RM60 million in losses between 2019 and 2023.