A real estate property manager and agency licensee have been ordered to pay a total of $9,700 by the State Administrative Tribunal after the property manager operated while her certificate of registration as a sales representative had expired.

Property manager Wendy Maxine Caroline Vettler was fined $1,500 for breaching the Real Estate and Business Agents Act. Her employer Teevor Pty Ltd, trading as Remax Sunset Coast Real Estate of Scarborough, was fined $5,000 and the agency’s licensee/sole Director Thomas Vincent O’Rourke was fined $2,500 for failing to ensure Ms Vettler’s registration was current. All were reprimanded and ordered to pay total costs of $700. The agency surrendered its licence in March 2019.

Ms Vettler began working for Remax Sunset Coast Real Estate in July 2014. Her certificate of registration as a real estate sales representative expired in July 2015 but wasn’t renewed until August 2018 and, during this time, she continued to carry out the functions of a property manager as a paid employee of the agency.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection Penny Lipscombe said no-one should be carrying out the duties of a real estate agent, sales rep or property manager without having licences and registrations that are current.

“The licensing system is essential in protecting consumers by ensuring that only suitably qualified and ‘fit and proper’ people operate in the real estate industry in WA,” Ms Lipscombe said.

“So it’s important that licences and registrations do not lapse at any time and agents need to have a system of proper checks in place in their office to ensure that their employees are not working illegally.

“The consequences of failing to do so can be serious with disciplinary action often resulting in penalties and damage to the agency’s reputation in the community.”

More information on the obligations of real estate agents and sales representatives is available on the Consumer Protection website or enquiries can be made by email consumer@demirs.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.

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Media Contact: Alan Hynd, (08) 6552 9248 / 0429 078 791 / alan.hynd@demirs.wa.gov.au