Real estate agent apologises

Aaron Drever. Photo / Supplied

The real estate agent who claimed two home sellers were "ecstatic" with his work - when they weren't - has apologised but faces an official complaint.

The saga involving real estate agent Aaron Drever has led to Remax - the company he works for - hiring a "customer care" staff member.

Drever was the focus of a meeting this week between the Remax national director and unhappy homeowners, who don't wish to be named, who had sold a house through the company.

The homeowners taped a conversation with Drever during an increasingly fraught period in which he sold their West Auckland home. The couple were furious after Drever described them as "ecstatic" in leaflets dropped in the neighbourhood.

Drever said he now accepted that the couple should not have been represented as pleased with the way the sale went.

"I am deeply sorry they weren't 'ecstatic'."

He said he "profusely apologised" for the distribution of "generic flyers" and that a new staff member would now be employed to ensure that Remax clients were happy over their dealings with the company.

Remax director Chris Chapman refused to be interviewed about the issue but in a statement by email he said steps to "ensure high standards of customer service and communication" would include hiring a new staff member.

He said the homeowners were told to put in writing any outstanding issues they had - and to complain to the Real Estate Agents Authority if they were still unhappy.

The homeowners told the Herald on Sunday they would do so. One of the former owners of the home also said that a lawyer would be hired to raise outstanding issues with Remax.

"We came away from the meeting without much joy," she said. "They took on board the minor stuff but not the stuff that really concerned us."

She said issues included Remax continuing to list the property for a fortnight after the couple signed to another agency.

She said it was being advertised more cheaply by Remax than the new agency had the property listed.

She said when an offer to buy the property was made, it came through the more cheaply advertised Remax advert. She said the Remax manager had claimed to not know how to remove the real estate listing from Trade Me.

But the woman to whom the house was sold spoke highly of Drever, as did another another former client who emailed the Herald on Sunday.

He said Drever had secured a higher price than expected. "I'd back Aaron to sell my property again; he's driven and surely that's exactly what a vendor would be hoping for."