Despite breaching the Fair Trading Act for misleading a buyer, real estate agent Tim Whitehead left the High Court without a conviction and remains a licenced agent.

In 2004 Mr Whitehead advertised a Wellington property as seeking enquiries above $380,000 though the vendor wouldn’t consider less than $400,000.

After a lengthy court process in 2007 Mr Whitehead was fined $7500 in the Hastings District Court for three charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act on misleading use of a ‘buyer enquiry over’ price.

Today the new Real Estate Agents Authority has come in to power officially, with the first order of business being bringing more transparency to the way the industry is run.

Formed under the new Real Estate Agents Act 2008 the authority’s purpose is to be an independent regulatory body of the industry.

Chair of the authority Kristy McDonald, QC, said it aims to “enhance professionalism” with an independent and transparent complaints process and compulsory licensing with names of those licensed available on a public register.