Alternate title: Real Estate Agents do the Darndest Things!
A while ago someone sent me a link to an interesting page over on the state’s Department of Licensing website: Disciplinary actions: Real estate brokers and managing brokers
Some of the tidbits contained within:
- Unprofessional conduct — Had judgments against him directly related to his real estate license and failed to report them to us within 20 days.
- Unprofessional conduct — Access to home given to buyers prior to closing of sale and some of seller’s personal property went missing.
- Unprofessional conduct — Forged designated broker’s signature and received commissions not paid through the firm.
- Unprofessional conduct — Convicted of Assault in the 2nd degree and didn’t report the conviction to us within 20 days.
- Unprofessional conduct —
- Negligent in taking steps to determine true ownership of property listed for sale.
- Acted outside of scope to remove person living in property.
- Interfered with our investigation.
- Unprofessional conduct — Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering and Wire Fraud, and failed to report the indictment and verdict to us.
- Unprofessional conduct — Failed to notify us of 2 separate arrests and subsequent convictions for shoplifting, and false answers on application.
Before you make the decision to work with a real estate agent, it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a moment to look them up in the DOL’s license database to make sure they’re in good standing and that they haven’t had their license revoked in the past for shenanigans similar to those quoted above.
If you believe your agent has engaged in illegal “unprofessional conduct,” or you encounter someone acting as an agent without the proper licenses, be sure to report them to the DOL.