********* Conduct, False Advertising, and Dismissive Principal Response

Be careful who you choose as a property practitioner, Century 21 East Rand regarding the conduct of one of their candidate agents and the subsequent response from their Principal, Mr. Savas Nicolaides.

Unprofessional Conduct: I was confronted in public by a Century 21 candidate agent, without any introduction or professionalism, in front of members of the public. This is in direct contravention of the professional standards expected in our industry.

False Advertising: Despite the seller formally withdrawing her mandate, the property was re-advertised on Property24 under Century 21. Even more concerning, the property was listed at R2,990,000, whereas the seller had explicitly instructed that her asking price was R3,000,000. Advertising a property at a price not agreed to by the seller, or after withdrawal, constitutes false advertising and is a breach of the PPRA Code of Conduct and the Consumer Protection Act.

Principal’s Dismissive Response: When I raised these concerns with Mr. Nicolaides (the Principal), instead of addressing the issues or taking accountability, his response was to dismiss my complaint as “nonsense” and to tell me to lay a complaint with the PPRA. This is highly concerning, as a Principal is legally responsible for the supervision and conduct of their agents.

This behaviour not only reflects poorly on the Century 21 brand, but also undermines trust in the industry.

Consumers and sellers deserve to know that:

Their instructions must be respected. Properties cannot legally be advertised at prices they have not agreed to. Professional conduct and accountability are non-negotiable.