Auckland real estate agent Aaron Drever stripped of licence
Saturday, 5 November 2016
A real estate agent who has been stripped of his licence says his mistakes only came about because he was frantically overworked.
Auckland agent Aaron Drever, who has had eight charges of either misconduct or unsatisfactory conduct brought against him since 2011, had his licence cancelled by the Real Estate Agents' Disciplinary Tribunal on Friday.
His offences included failing to provide copies of industry guides as required, failing to discuss a marketing plan with vendors, and telling them to shut their mouths and not speak to potential buyers.
In an interview, Drever admitted he had not 'dotted his Is or crossed his Ts', but said that none of his mistakes were intentional.
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He said they had been due to the heavy workload his office had been carrying.
'The volume of business conducted in the period question is more than some offices do with six times the personal (sic),' Drever said in an email to Stuff.
He said the REAA had made it a mission to make an example of a 'high performing agent' in an industry in which he claimed corruption got swept under the carpet.
When providing evidence to the tribunal, Drever said he was under a lot of pressure, and had not received enough oversight or supervision.
He said at the time of the misconduct he was frantically busy selling a large number of properties and had been making more than a million dollars a year.
In 2013, Drever was the listing agent for a west Auckland property being sold by Mr and Mrs Deyermond.
He gave the couple only an oral appraisal when he was required to put this in writing and also failed to provide copies of industry guides as required. Drever failed to discuss the marketing plan with the sellers and told them to shut their mouths and not speak to potential buyers who viewed the property.
Later that year, Drever made similar breaches when in charge of the sale of properties in Kelston and Glendene, also in west Auckland.
On his behalf, his counsel argued that real estate was the only way Drever could make a living and the maximum of a two-year suspension would be the most appropriate outcome. Parmenter said there had never been an element of dishonesty in Drever's behaviour and the issues were related to omission rather than commission.
But the Complaints Assessment Committee's said Drever's conduct was serious and he repeatedly made the same mistakes in failing to meet his fundamental obligations.
Appearing for the committee, Ms C Paterson said Drever had shown a cavalier attitude and a reckless approach and there was nothing to show that he would not keep committing the same breaches.
The tribunal ordered Drever to pay $3000 costs.