A REAL estate agent has been banned from applying for registration for 30 months after posing as an employee for a Wanneroo agency where she no longer worked.
Olivia Murray was ordered to pay $4000 after the Department of Consumer Protection took action against her for breaching the Real Estate and Business Agents Act and Code of Conduct.
Ms Murray falsely claimed to work for the agency despite her employment being terminated in February 2014.
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READ NOWIn August 2014, Ms Murray took on a couple seeking a manager for their Ellenbrook investment property under her former employer’s name.
A statement from the department said that Ms Murray gave the couple her former employer’s business card and brochure, which had been replaced with her personal contact details.
Ms Murray crossed out the agency’s name and contact details when completing the management authority form, however retained the agency’s registration number.
In the tenancy agreement, Ms Murray excluded the bank account name and directed rent payments to her personal bank account.
The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) found Ms Murray’s conduct involved a deliberate and calculated breach of proper professional and ethical standards of behaviour.
Consumer Protection acting commissioner Penny Lipscombe said honesty was a major criterion for being licensed or registered to work in the WA real estate industry.
“This was a blatant case of dishonesty by Ms Murray which resulted in an income stream being diverted away from her former employer and demonstrated that she is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence,” Ms Lipscombe said.
The SAT concluded the conduct be addressed by a substantial penalty in order to maintain public confidence in the standards of real estate.
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