'Predatory' behaviour: Realtor manipulated client into selling her house, B.C. regulator finds

A B.C. Realtor manipulated a client with whom he had a close personal relationship into selling her home, the provincial real estate regulator has found, in a ruling that describes the misconduct as "predatory."

A B.C. Realtor manipulated a client with whom he had a close personal relationship into selling her home, the provincial real estate regulator has found, in a ruling that describes the misconduct as "predatory."

The B.C. Financial Services Authority published its findings of misconduct against Ismail Jamal Jinnah on its website last week. A separate decision on what penalties Jinnah should face for his misconduct will be issued sometime in the future, once the parties have had the opportunity to make further submissions. 

BCFSA hearing officer Thelma O'Grady concluded in her liability decision that Jinnah committed a variety of forms of professional misconduct, including:

O'Grady also found that Jinnah had made a false or misleading statement in a required document and that he had committed "conduct unbecoming," as defined in the Real Estate Services Act.

The findings stem from a pair of transactions that Jinnah facilitated in 2015, which were the first two transactions of his career as a real estate licensee, according to the decision.

The two homeowners involved are referred to throughout the decision as "Individual 1" and "Individual 2."

Jinnah met Individual 1 through a dating app in 2014 and began a relationship with her, the nature of which was disputed during the hearing on the matter.