Green Door objects to rival's sale tactics

A commission-free real estate agency has complained to the Commerce Commission about a rival estate agent taking credit for the sale of a Henderson home.

Private-sale service Green Door has accused Ray White's Henderson branch of slapping a "sold" sticker on a property marketed by the homeowner through Green Door.

Green Door Auckland director Jane Foote said the owners had the house on the market for six weeks. A conditional offer had been made at the final Green Door open home before the owners began marketing the property through the local Ray White agency.

Less than a week later, the property was sold but Foote said Ray White had no involvement in the sale other than to continue marketing the property while negotiations took place.

Green Door was "sick and tired of real estate agents trying to push us around".

Ray White Henderson branch manager Joe Voordouw was unaware of the complaint against his agency.

Under the Fair Trading Act, the agency and agent involved could be fined if found to be creating the impression it was responsible for the sale of the property.

Last year, the Commerce Commission sent a compliance advice letter to Green Door, warning about potential breaches over property sales in Nelson and Dunedin.

Commission spokeswoman Jacqueline Martin said: "They listed [the property] as having been sold by Green Door's advertising when it had been sold through a different real estate agency. We said it was misleading conduct and we suggested they be more careful in future."

Green Door franchisor Peter Hammond said in those cases the buyer had used an agent to negotiate with the owner in order to complete the sale. "It's a fine line and quite honestly the owner still sold that property."