News

Silence Is Not Golden In Real Estate Negotiations

by George Rousos Director Industry Training Consultants george@itc.nsw.edu.au     Franois-Marie Arouet, better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French writer and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade. One of Voltaire?s famous sayings was, and I quote: “We must distinguish between speaking to deceive and being silent to be reserved.” I echo and remark this famous quote of Voltaire?s, often...

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Conveyancing Consumer Alert – Beware of the Sneaky Stamp!

Real estate agents have no automatic right to lodge a caveat over a client’s property to secure the payment of commission. So some cunning real estate agents are adding a clause to the agency contract by which the client gives the real estate agent permission to lodge a caveat. If a real estate agent adds a caveat clause, the client may be able to argue that the conduct of the real estate agent is misleading...

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Slater and Gordon – Too Great To Challenge?

When Slater & Gordon lawyer Pieter Kruger publicly declared that he had engaged in conduct recently found by the Supreme Court of Victoria to be illegal, and challenged me to report him to Consumer Affairs Victoria, it was not simply a matter of one lawyer debating another. Rather, Mr. Kruger's taunt was a challenge to Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Supreme Court of Victoria in the wake of a declaration by the Supreme Court that negotiating the sale of real estate on behalf of a client is not an ordinary function of an Australian Legal Practitioner. But is Slater & Gordon too big to challenge?

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Commission Rage – Real Estate Rabies!

Rabies is a terrible affliction. It can can quickly turn a friendly family pet into a belligerent biting beast. Commission rage can have a similar affect on real estate agents, changing them from ordinary salespeople into cruel and manipulative bullies. Like rabies, commission rage cannot be treated. However, early detection means that a consumer can take precautions against its damaging effects.

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REIV Ethics Disgrace

There is little doubt that the real estate industry in Victoria is the most corrupt in Australia. This is largely due to the power and arrogance of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV). The recent dismissal of Mr. John Keating from the REIV ethics committee is an example of the contempt the REIV has for ethical conduct, and for consumers generally.

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The Pricing Dilemma – An Agent’s View

Chris Warren is a Licensed Real Estate agent with over 20 years' experience, providing real estate services to consumers on Brisbane's inner southside. He was recently quoted in a submission to the Estate Agents Council of Victoria concerning real estate agent appraisals and the pricing of real estate, and wrote this article in response to a request for his opinion on the problems associated with the valuing and pricing of real estate.

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Join the Real Estate Ethics Group

The purpose of the Real Estate Ethics Group is to encourage discussion on ethical issues related to the delivery of residential real estate services. In order to ensure high quality discussion and debate, the group has been created in the well-known professional network “LinkedIn”.

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The Ultimate Real Estate Sales Office

The ultimate real estate office model has arrived. It’s the ILP – a lean, clean sales machine that combines the roles of lawyer, conveyancer and real estate agent to provide an optimum real estate service on a fixed fee basis. Anyone can establish an ILP, including real estate agents, conveyancers and accountants, to provide clients with a one-stop-shop for real estate sales and related legal services. Introduction ILP stands for Incorporated Legal Practice, and an...

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