Police believe Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao, who vanished without a trace last week, was killed after visiting a home she was planning to show a potential buyer. Video / NZ Herald
The Government agency in charge of regulating New Zealand’s 16,000 real estate agents will talk to sector leaders about safety following missing Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao’s disappearance after showing someone through a property.
Real Estate Authority chief executive Belinda Moffat said agents’ safety was paramount, andshe expressed sadness about Bao.
“The REA is engaging with sector leaders and the real estate membership association - the Real Estate Institute - to consider how messages and guidance around safety might be reiterated and reinforced in due course,” Moffat said today.
She expressed deep concern about Bao, her family and those she worked with at Harcourts.
“This is a deeply distressing, exceptional situation, and our thoughts are with Ms Bao’s family, friends and colleagues. As there is an ongoing criminal investigation, with all facts yet to be determined, we are not able to comment or speculate on the events that may have occurred,” Moffat said.
The authority’s licence details show Bao’s real estate licence was first registered in April last year. Her licence period runs from April this year to April next year. She is listed as a salesperson and worked at Harcourts.
Bao was last seen in the Wigram area about 10.30am last Wednesday and her cellphone was located on the Southern Motorway last Friday. Now, Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves has said she does not believe Bao is alive. A man has been charged with kidnapping in relation to the ongoing investigation into Bao’s disappearance.
Moffet indicated ensuring agents remained safe was a top priority.
Real Estate Authority chief executive Belinda Moffat.
“As the conduct regulator of the real estate profession, the safety of all licensees is incredibly important to the authority. Like all workplaces, the safety of people is also a top priority for real estate agencies and there are precautions and protocols, including the use of technology and communication systems, that agencies may apply to mitigate some risks and support safety. Approaches will be tailored to the work and environment in which people are operating,” Moffat said.
Another sector specialist said of agents who were in homes on their own with another person or with people: “They are so vulnerable.”
But agents were given information about how to take care of themselves, he said.
A REINZ spokesperson said the topic was not something it wanted to discuss right now.
“As this is still a police matter, REINZ is not in a position to make any comment. Alongside the entire real estate industry, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Ms Bao,” a spokesperson said.
However, REINZ chief executive Jen Baird has said door-knocking is usually safe. It has now emerged that Bao was not door-knocking, but visiting one property.
“Door-knocking, for a time, has been a fairly standard part of real estate, and lots of people still do it and do it perfectly safely. It’s a great way to meet people and engage with their communities,” Baird told RNZ last week.
The Real Estate Authority issued a continued professional development document dated August 2019. That was on marketing and about competence and ethics, but also had extensive guidance on health and safety.
That reminded agents that work and workplaces in New Zealand were covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Workers who were employees, contractors or subcontractors were expected to take reasonable care to keep themselves and others healthy and safe when carrying out work, the authority document said.
It also reminded agents they needed to keep their clients safe and to inform them if there were tripping or falling hazards in homes which were, for example, for sale and where open homes were being held.
That told of agents’ responsibilities to people visiting such homes.
“In practical terms, meeting legislated workplace health and safety requirements means that licensees are responsible for the wellbeing of any customer taken to, or entering into, a property, space, or business for a viewing, for example, at an open home. It also includes all aspects of safety associated with transporting clients in a vehicle while carrying out real estate duties,” it said.
Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves discusses the disappearance of Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Photo / George Heard
The authority said that in the year to June 30, 2022, New Zealand had 16,866 people and entities licenced to sell real estate, which was historically high. But numbers fell lately by 198 licences to 16,668 licences.
Agents, branch managers and salespeople must renew licences annually to practice. They pay an operational levy of $597, a disciplinary levy of $33 and $94 GST.
To get licenced to begin with, they must pay the authority $939.55.
The market downturn might be responsible for some leaving the market, but the authority said several factors influenced licence numbers, including market conditions, retirement, and employment opportunities in other sectors.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
