新州 (NSW) 州政府已经开始加紧对狡猾房产经纪人的调查，甚至不惜让公平交易的工作人员冒充成年轻夫妇去买房，以揭露房产代理对房子标价低于实际价格（underquoting）的行为。

公平交易的部长 Matthew Mason-Cox 称，“正义之槌”已经瞄准了悉尼西北区的房产代理。

“新州公平交易的人员假装成年轻夫妇去买房，对销售代理所提供的房价信息进行了纪录，而其他人员则对房地产企业进行公开检查，以确定是否真的有不按规则标价的事情发生。”他说道。

然而，尽管公平交易的人员使出了这个法子，但该区所有的房产代理都没有被查出问题。

“underquoting”的行为是指对一处房产以低于买家叫价或拍卖底价的价格进行宣传，而这个价格则是根据代理人自己的估计或另一名潜在买家的要价来规定的。

据了解，房产经纪人经常凭借可比的销售额和买家的反馈来制定自己的房产定价标准。一旦他们被抓到违规，最高将面临2.2万澳元的罚款，并且被取消从事房地产行业的资格。

然而，这种违规行为非常难被抓到，特别是在非常火爆的房市。

“这种行为是非常可耻的，这是在欺骗无辜的潜在买家去购买他们的梦想家园，新州公平交易将会严查此事，他们终将受到严厉惩罚。”Mason-Cox 先生说道。

据悉，该部门在未来几周内将会在悉尼内西区采取更多的行动，该区近几年来一直都是悉尼比较火热的区。

摘自《rebonline》

Undercover campaign nabs agents

Thursday, 09 October 2014

原文作者：Michael Crawford

A blitz of undercover real estate agents are attending weekend auctions throughout NSW in order to nab dummy bidders, underquoters and estate agents involved in ‘deceptive conduct’.

In August and September two taskforces were set up by state police to check licences and gather intelligence to ensure fair and legal competition.

To date, some 440 real estate businesses have been inspected, generating a total of 111 fines amounting to $121,000. Amongst others, fines were issued for contravening the rules of conduct, working or advertising without a licence and failing to supervise staff and the business.

NSW Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox said the market is very strong at the moment, which is why NSW Fair Trading is committed to being out in the field to ensure it is a fair and competitive one for everyone.

“Make no mistake, NSW Fair Trading is watching and rogue operators will be held accountable,” Mr Mason-Cox said.

“NSW Fair Trading offices attended open days, posing as young couples wanting to buy a property. They recorded the sale price information provided by the selling agent, while other offices conducted overt inspections of the real estate business to determine if underquoting had taken place.

“The practice of underquoting is shameful and cheats innocent prospective buyers of purchasing their dream home.”

Operation Kuban was run in Sydney’s northern beaches throughout August. Mr Mason-cox said officers visited 74 agencies, inspected the licences or certificates of 450 agents and reviewed sales records of some 285 properties with 21 penalty infringement notices issued to a total of $18,150.

In September, Operation Gavel began in Sydney’s north west, an operation that involved overt and covert surveillance of agents and real estate businesses.

Sydney’s inner west is the next area the department will investigate.