Real Estate Council of B.C. requires photo ID for applications after exam deception
The Real Estate Council of B.C. is making changes to crack down on agents trying to game their procedures
Michael Mui
The Vancouver Sun
The Real Estate Council of B.C. is requiring government photo ID checks during licence applications for the first time after discovering an agent who scored 90 per cent on his licensing exam had someone else write the test.
The change will be effective on Sept. 1 this year. The real estate council said in a statement that previously, applicants were required to submit ID — but only to police for a criminal record check and during their licensing exam.
“That requirement is still in place, and the council is adding the requirement that a copy of the photo identification be included with all licence applications, to allow the council to match the photo identification against the identification required … at the time the students write the real estate licensing examination,” said spokeswoman Marilee Peters, in a statement.
“The only (misrepresentation) case we are aware of was at the University of British Columbia, involving Mr. Ryan Rana, whose licence was suspended indefinitely as soon as the council became aware of the misrepresentation.”
In Rana’s case, according to a disciplinary order, the agent’s photo on his website didn’t look like the person who showed up to write the exam at the Sauder Real Estate Division in November 2015. A compliance officer later identified a name and face on Rana’s Instagram and Facebook accounts and matched it to the person who actually wrote the exam.
Peters said in the statement that all licence applicants are required to present a recent criminal record check, employment history, bankruptcy or insolvency history, among other requirements.
“Licensees who are found to have provided false information on a licence application will be subject to discipline, which can include licence cancellation,” she said.
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