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Questions Without Notice Questions without notice are asked of Ministers and answered during Question Time.
Question:
Mr LAWLOR:
My question is to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and MinisterAssisting the Premier in Western Queensland. Can the Attorney-General inform the House of the serious consequences real estate agents can face if they are caught illegally dealing in property transactions for their own benefit?
Answer:
Mr SHINE:
This government is determined to ensure that Queenslanders who are buying or selling houses are protected from unscrupulous real estate agents, particularly those agents who seek to personally benefit from their special knowledge of Queensland's real estate industry at the expense of those purchasing or selling property. We will seek to have those real estate agents caught undertaking illegal activities banned from the industry and heavily fined.
Last month my department was successful in the Court of Appeal in having a four-year ban reinstated on the real estate licence of Heather Filippini of Heather Filippini Island Realty at Paradise Point on the Gold Coast. In 2006 the Commercial and Consumer Tribunal disqualified Ms Filippini from holding a real estate licence and fined her $11,250 for obtaining a beneficial interest in a property and selling a property without being properly appointed. In December last year Ms Filippini successfully appealed to the District Court to have her ban overturned. My department appealed that decision to the Court of Criminal Appeal, which unanimously agreed that the ban should be reinstated.
The cancellation of Ms Filippini's licence was warranted by the need to protect the community against further breaches by Ms Filippini of the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000. I warn all real estate agents that this case is a perfect example of what will happen to them if they take advantage of the position of trust they
are placed in by vendors. They can lose their licence, they can lose their reputation and, indeed, they can lose their livelihood.
Any agent who wishes to obtain an interest in a property for sale must act fairly and honestly to ensure that the vendor can make an informed decision to sell to them. If they do not, they will face
serious consequences. The Office of Fair Trading spent the better part of three years pursuing Heather Filippini through the courts, and I congratulate our officers on their work in securing this penalty against her. This government is committed to exposing rogue operators to the full force of the law so that consumers can have confidence and trust in the real estate industry in Queensland.
My office has spoken with the real estate industry, with the REIQ, which supports our push to rid the industry of operators who flout the law. It is significant that the industry's representative body
supports our push to ensure that real estate agents play by the rules. I would encourage any homeowner or potential buyer of a property who is not happy with the conduct of a real estate agent to
contact the Office of Fair Trading, which can investigate any allegations. This government is serious in sending a very clear message to real estate agents that we will not tolerate shonky activities. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 10:03 AM
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