Agent cops reality check
Canning banned five years for ‘dishonest’ dealings in real estate
THE Tasmanian star of a reality television dating show has had his real estate agent’s licence revoked for five years.
Conor James Canning, who appeared on Bachelor in Paradise, appeared before the Hobart Magistrates Court to learn the outcome of his appeal against a Property Agents’ Tribunal decision from November 4 last year.
The board had fined the former reality TV contestant $30,000 and suspended his property representative licence for five years.
But Magistrate Chris Webster handed down his decision on Wednesday to uphold the ruling in a civil case at Hobart Magistrates Court.
According to Mr Webster’s published decision, Mr Canning had admitted to stealing intellectual property from his former employer, Ray White, and lying to the industry’s regulatory board.
Mr Canning had stolen a database of customers and clients that he did not have permission to access, and sent it to a mortgage broker in an email in February 2018, saying “the golden list my man. This is highly confidential but I trust you”.
Mr Canning, who was most recently employed by Harcourts Hobart and PRD Hobart, had also made a statutory declaration to the investigator in October 2018 falsely claiming he had not exported the database.
He misled the Tribunal in September last year saying he had thought he was sending a bulk email of listed LinkedIn connections.
Mr Webster said in his court decision he regarded Mr Canning’s attempt to deceive the Tribunal as “even more serious” than his efforts to deceive investigators and the Board.
“The admitted and proved allegations against the applicant, particularly the lies to the Board and Tribunal, are very serious examples of professional misconduct,” he said.
“The overwhelming impression that I have after listening to the applicant and his witnesses is that the applicant is oblivious to the nature of the charges against him and the seriousness of such charges.”
Mr Webster said those employed in the real estate industry were expected to be honest.
“There are many opportunities for a dishonest person working in this industry to gain a financial advantage for themselves or their clients by making a false declaration or misrepresentation or to financially disadvantage others,” Mr Webster said.
“It is particularly important that a dishonest person is not employed in that industry.
“I conclude that the applicant is not a fit and proper person to practise in the real estate industry and that the need to protect the public requires that the applicant (is) not to participate in the real estate industry until he has satisfied the relevant governing body that he is a fit and proper person to be readmitted into the real estate industry.”