Real estate marketing relies on an information chain involving various stakeholders. Transparency should not become a source of criticism, but rather a shared responsibility
Buying a property off-plan has a unique characteristic: it often involves making one of life's most important financial decisions about something that doesn't yet physically exist. The buyer can't fully explore the apartment they will acquire, use its future amenities, or verify how the project will function once completed. Their decision is based on blueprints, renderings, brochures, contracts, sales presentations, and, especially, the information they receive.
Therefore, long before the first brick is laid, there is an element that has already begun to be built: trust. But that trust does not depend on a single actor.
Between the information generated during a project and the information ultimately received by the buyer, there is a chain that may involve developers, builders, marketing companies, master brokers, real estate agents, lawyers, and other professionals. Each plays a different role, but they all share the same interest: ensuring that information reaches the market in a clear, truthful, and responsible manner.
This is not merely an ethical aspiration. Law No. 358-05 on the Protection of Consumer Rights has established important obligations regarding consumer information and advertising for years. Article 88 requires that advertising and promotional activities be truthful and prohibits those that could mislead or confuse consumers regarding essential aspects of the goods and services offered.
The real estate market is also entering a new phase. The bill on real estate brokerage and advertising, currently before the National Congress, brings concepts such as transparency, professionalization, information, and responsibility in marketing back to the forefront. Perhaps, then, the question shouldn't be who bears the greatest responsibility when something is communicated incorrectly.
The truly important conversation is another: how do we all work together to build a higher standard for real estate information? Because in the marketing of a project, information travels. It originates at one point, passes through different stakeholders, and finally reaches the person who will make an investment decision.
And distortions can occur along that path. An estimated delivery date might end up being communicated as final. A planned amenity might be verbally guaranteed. An expected return might be presented as a guaranteed profit. Even information that was initially correct might become inaccurate if the project undergoes modifications and that update isn't promptly communicated throughout the entire sales chain.
There isn't necessarily malicious intent. Sometimes there's simply a communication breakdown. And that's precisely why we need better processes. Developers must ensure that the information they generate is clear, verifiable, and constantly updated. Marketing companies need mechanisms to transmit this information correctly to their teams. And real estate agents must also assume an increasingly professional role.
The agent shouldn't simply repeat information. They must become a professional filter of the information they bring to market. That means asking questions before publishing. Is this information up-to-date? Is this amenity included in the project? Is the communicated date contractual, estimated, or promotional? Is the presented profitability guaranteed or is it a projection? Do the advertised conditions match those the buyer will ultimately find in the documents?
Verification doesn't mean distrusting the developer. It means professionalizing the supply chain. But there's an equally important counterpart: for the agent to verify and communicate correctly, they need to receive clear, sufficient, up-to-date, and verifiable information from the source. That's where shared responsibility begins.
Social media makes this conversation even more urgent. Today, every real estate professional literally holds a communication tool in their hands. A video can reach thousands of people in just a few hours, and a statement made on camera can influence a property decision. The speed of communication shouldn't lower our verification standards; it should raise them.
That is why I believe that the regulation currently being discussed also represents an opportunity to look beyond the obligations that a law may ultimately establish.
We don't need to wait for new legislation to start raising our professional standards. True professionalization happens when the industry recognizes that no real estate transaction operates in isolation.
Developers need professional agents. Agents need developers who provide reliable information. Buyers need professionals who can guide them. And we all need institutions and regulations that bring certainty to the market.
That understanding can make the difference between a sector made up of actors who simply agree on a transaction and a true ecosystem capable of working under shared standards.
Because communicating effectively also provides legal certainty. It also protects the developer. It also protects the agent. It also protects the buyer. And, above all, it protects the trust that allows the market to continue growing.
Perhaps the next major evolution of the Dominican real estate sector isn't just about building more, selling more, or attracting more investment. Perhaps it's also about learning to communicate better with each other in order to communicate better with the market. Because responsibility shouldn't become a chain of accusations. It should become a chain of trust.
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