Dismissed agent back selling homes

Aaron Drever, known as "The Voice of Speedway" for his commentaries at Western Springs races, was once one of Ray White's top international salespeople.

Clarification: An earlier version of this article quoted Ray White spokeswoman Lisa Pennell as saying the firm was never advised of any criminal charge against Aaron Drever. Ray White has subsequently confirmed this was an error and that it had been made aware of the matter. The article has been amended below.

A real estate agent with a string of complaints and four previous disciplinary findings against him has lost his job with one agency but is now selling homes for another.

Aaron Drever, known as "The Voice of Speedway" for his commentaries at Western Springs races, was once one of Ray White's top international salespeople.

But the Weekend Herald can reveal he is now facing eight active complaints relating to alleged incompetency/negligence, misleading behaviour and activity relating to an auction.

Three of the complaints have resulted in misconduct charges being laid by real estate investigators and he will go before the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal next year. Four others were lodged this year but no further details are yet available. He is currently awaiting penalty for unsatisfactory conduct on another complaint for pressuring an individual to withdraw their complaint to the Real Estate Agents Authority (REAA).

Mr Drever was based at Ray White's Pure Realty office in Kelston for the last two years. But he was let go by the agency last month after being found guilty of an earlier misconduct charge by the REAA.

The tribunal ruled he had put more than $15,000 of client money at risk by depositing marketing funds into his own account rather than forwarding it to his agency. The offending occurred in 2013 while he worked for RE/MAX's Glen Eden-based Hedgman Realty, which has since ceased operations.

A prosecutor described Mr Drever's actions as "an appalling lack of judgment" and "so loose as to be seriously negligent". He was fined $5000 plus $2000 costs and ordered to undergo training.

The Weekend Herald can also reveal the REAA applied to suspend Mr Drever's real estate licence on public interest grounds last year.

The application was declined after the tribunal ruled he had adequate support and supervision, and that suspension would cause him financial hardship.

"We record our polite warning to the defendant that, if he appears before us again with offending of any concern, his licence will very likely be at risk of suspension or revocation," the tribunal warned.

Mr Drever was charged by police with theft by a person in a special relationship in connection with the irregular money deposit.

The charge was withdrawn after the money was repaid, a police spokeswoman confirmed.

Mr Drever also has three previous unsatisfactory conduct findings against him, resulting in censures and fines.

One was for making errors or omissions when preparing and signing a sale and purchase agreement and not clarifying the final sale price, causing a vendor to be overcharged commission. In another case he failed to provide a required guide to a complainant or allow adequate time to seek legal advice, and failed to pass on information from the vendor.

Despite his disciplinary history, Mr Drever was employed by Harcourts' New Lynn branch following his departure from Ray White last month. He has at least five property listings on the firm's website.

Mr Drever, whose profile describes a "trail of 450 million-dollar sales and deeply satisfied customers" after 12 years in the industry, declined to comment.

Ray White spokeswoman Lisa Pennell said the firm was never advised of any criminal charge against Mr Drever and would have suspended him if that had been disclosed.

Mr Drever disputed this, saying the company was kept fully abreast of his disciplinary matters, including the theft charge, which was subsequently withdrawn.

Ms Pennell later admitted this, saying the company's earlier statement was in error.

"As soon as we became aware that breaches of the Act had been confirmed by the REAA, we took steps to end our relationship with him."

Harcourts would not confirm whether it knew of Mr Drever's disciplinary history prior to employing him. Chief executive Chris Kennedy issued a one-line statement saying it was not company policy to comment on employment matters.

Labour's housing spokesman Phil Twyford said it was highly questionable whether Mr Drever should still be working as an agent.

"This guy has left a trail of unhappy clients, and that is just the ones who actually lodged formal complaints. You have to wonder what it would take for the REAA to actually suspend an agent."

Aaron Drever

2010-2013: Worked for RE/MAX in Glen Eden. Found guilty of misconduct by the REAA for putting client money at risk by depositing marketing funds into his own account. Also censured and fined by the REAA on three counts of unsatisfactory conduct.

2013-Oct 2015: Worked for Ray White's Pure Realty in Kelston. Let go after being found guilty by the REAA of the misconduct charge. Charged by police with theft in a special relationship but charge withdrawn after client money repaid to RE/MAX.

Currently: Employed by Harcourts' New Lynn office. Facing eight active complaints, four of which were lodged this year. Three of the active complaints have resulted in misconduct charges and will be heard before the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal next year.