2025 Real Estate Agents Licensing Board (REALB) Annual Conference participants [Photo: Supplied]

Fiji’s real estate sector must be bold, ethical and forward-looking as it plays a bigger role in rebuilding the economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica said.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Real Estate Agents Licensing Board (REALB) Annual Conference in Nadi, Kamikamica stated that the sector’s work was about more than selling properties.

He said it was about building stronger communities and setting the direction for national growth.

Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica [Photo: Supplied]

Kamikamica stressed that real estate must help shape urban spaces that are fair, resilient, and sustainable.

He pointed to a 3.4 percent GDP growth forecast for 2025, driven by tourism, infrastructure investment, and rising business confidence. He said new credit for real estate and construction had risen by 25.9 percent by September last year, showing real momentum.

He acknowledged REALB for pushing reforms to tighten rules against unlicensed agents, strengthen disciplinary action, and improve consumer protection. He said these steps were vital to protect the market’s trust and reputation.

[Photo: Supplied]

Kamikamica welcomed REALB’s shift to digital licensing and compliance systems, saying faster and more transparent processes would support a stronger and more modern sector.

He called for banks, builders, local councils, and legal professionals to work closer together to speed up processes and improve service to buyers and investors.

He also warned that climate change and digital disruption were changing how and where people build. He said builders must plan with rising sea levels in mind and use new technologies like virtual tours, smart platforms, and sustainable construction as part of daily business.

Kamikamica outlined key government actions to back the sector, including the new National Housing Policy 2025–2030, designed to improve access to land and affordable housing. He said new platforms like businessNOW FIJI and the Access to Business Funding Act were designed to make it easier for real estate ventures to grow.

In opening the conference, Kamikamica said the event was a checkpoint for the industry and urged participants to leave with new strategies and stronger partnerships to help move Fiji forward.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.