By ANNE GIBSON property editor
Embarrassed real estate agents want TVNZ to scrap its most popular programme, Location, Location, Location, because they say it shows their profession in a dubious light.
A number of agencies have banned staff from having any dealings with the Sunday night show, which draws an audience of 791,000 - 14,000 more viewers than One News.
The president of the Real Estate Institute, Max Oliver, has been inundated with complaints about the show from members and calls for the institute to take action against it.
Mr Oliver said that he recently attended 16 regional institute annual meetings throughout the country, and at every one concerns had been raised about the show.
He said the programme revealed potential breaches of the Fair Trading Act by some agents.
"People are asking questions, and answers are being given without checking the information is correct."
Location, Location, Location showed potential breaches of the Privacy Act, due to the amount of personal detail shown.
"I'm astounded that buyers and sellers are keen to describe their financial conditions and emotional decisions openly to the world," he said.
The programme also showed potential breaches of industry regulations, Mr Oliver said.
He particularly cited the fact that agents were contracted to work for the vendor, but, he said, the show portrayed some agents apparently working for the buyer.
However, the institute would not take action against the programme's producers, Wellington's Ninox Films, which is in receivership and has not been commissioned to make another series.
"We don't think it's a good thing for agents to be going on, but we can't stop them. We aren't going to discipline our members for what we consider is bad practice," he said, adding that the show had wide appeal and the public was fascinated with the industry.
"The No 1 thing for us is that we would prefer if our members didn't get involved."
TVNZ public affairs manager Liam Jeory said he was disappointed and sorry agents were upset with the programme.
"But our service is to our viewers and we didn't knowingly set out to portray real estate agents in any light, other than the way they are," he said.
Mr Jeory said TVNZ had yet to decide whether to commission another series of Location, Location, Location.
A show regular, millionaire Michael Boulgaris, had second thoughts about featuring in it during May when the series revealed the practice of fake bidders at auctions.
However, he has carried on appearing in the show, which ends its run on August 6.
TV show unfair say real estate agents
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