PUNTA CANA – Enrique Morales, president of the Latin American Real Estate Confederation (CILA), stated that the real estate sector faces key challenges globally , including digital transformation, the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, and the urgent need to professionalize real estate brokers .
This was announced during the tenth edition of the Latin American Real Estate Congress 2025, which is being held at the Hard Rock Punta Cana hotel, and which will run until tomorrow, August 27, with the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies (AEI) of the Dominican Republic as the host entity.
“I think the best analogy we can use is the tourism sector. Just as tourism 20 years ago was very different from what it is today, the real estate sector is at a point where digital transformation will make real estate businesses, as we know them now, completely different ,” he commented.
Regarding the regulatory framework, Enrique mentioned Argentina and Brazil as the countries with the highest level of real estate regulation. He cited the laws in these nations that penalize those who engage in unethical business practices.
In comparison with other places in Latin America, he acknowledged that there is a struggle to give greater weight to the value of real estate services , based on the philosophy that houses are not sold , but a service that ensures that private property is treated with "respect, care and ethics ".
“The trend is toward increasing regulation. Governments are realizing this, as are research institutions, financial institutions, and anti-money laundering agencies. All of this is forcing a reduction practice and the introduction of laws to ensure that property management is done formally,” he explained.
Furthermore, the president also discussed the need to professionalize real estate brokers with high ethical standards. Driven by this need, the University Institute of Real Estate Brokerage (IUCILA) was created through an agreement between the confederation and the Gastón Dachary University (UGD).
During this journey, he indicated that the Real Estate Broker Certification was developed to standardize real estate brokerage practices throughout Latin America.
Similarly, he reported that not only is a medal awarded, but a blockchain certificate is also established, where people can investigate the runner and verify that it is backed by the CILA, in addition to being subject to the ethics tribunal of the entity and of their country.
“In this way, the certified real estate broker, along with the tools that CILA provides or that are available to them, we can have real estate brokers of a global level, who can do business locally at a much higher level than other agents at an international level,” he stated.
Cap Cana, a global example: recognition of the entity
Enrique Morales acknowledged that Latin American real estate agents and developers have evolved within the market, standing out for their "global-level real estate offerings".
“We’ve visited developments like Cap Cana here in the Dominican Republic, and we think it’s a world-class real estate offering. Any development worldwide would be envious of having a project like that ,” he said.
He also noted that Latin American developers, along with brokers, are expanding their horizons by conquering the United States , thus highlighting the existence of Latin American investors who are investing in that market.
