Realtor in West Van committed misconduct: panel

One of B.C.’s top Realtors deceived a client by telling him he wouldn’t be presented a fullprice offer for his home unless he paid $100,000 to another Realtor as a bonus, a Real Estate Council of B.C. disciplinary panel has ruled.

West Vancouver Realtor Shahin Behroyan faced seven professional misconduct allegations in the case, and was found to have committed five, including failing to act in the best interests of his client.

The most serious allegations of deception and conflict of interest, according to real estate council lawyer Jean Whittow, concerned a $75,000 bonus that Behroyan’s client, Hamid Gamini, did eventually pay to Behroyan on top of Behroyan’s $72,000 commission for the $2.7-million sale of a property in November 2014.

Gamini testified Behroyan told him that the Realtor for John and Alexis Clague, a West Vancouver couple interested in buying the Kings Avenue property, had asked for a $100,000 bonus to complete a deal.

The panel heard that West Vancouver Realtor Teresa De Cotiis was agent for the Clagues.

But Behroyan insisted that it was Gamini who offered Behroyan a bonus to complete a deal for the Kings Avenue home, which was a tough-to-sell property. Behroyan said he never suggested to Gamini that the bonus would be paid to another Realtor.

The panel said in weighing “diametrically opposed” testimony, it considered that both men had a motive to lie.

“But Mr. Behroyan arguably has even more at stake,” the decision states.

A penalty hearing for Behroyan is scheduled for next spring.