{"id":38370,"date":"2022-05-03T13:20:42","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T01:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertynoise.co.nz\/au\/?p=38370"},"modified":"2022-05-03T13:20:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T01:20:42","slug":"melbourne-real-estate-agent-accused-of-taking-rivals-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertynoise.co.nz\/au\/melbourne-real-estate-agent-accused-of-taking-rivals-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne real estate agent accused of taking rival’s signs"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOTO: Adam Docking. Herald Sun<\/strong><\/p>\n

A prominent Melbourne<\/a> real estate agent has been under investigation after it was alleged he took “open for inspection” signs from a rival agency.<\/p>\n

Adam Docking was arrested at his Vermont South home in April and a search warrant led Victoria Police to find several A-frame boards.<\/p>\n

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A Current Affair<\/em>\u00a0anonymously obtained footage that appeared to show Mr Docking picking up a rival company’s board and putting it in his car.<\/p>\n

A Current Affair’s anonymously obtained footage. (A Current Affair)<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Third-generation real estate agent Cameron Way works for another rival company, Woodards.<\/p>\n

Mr Way told\u00a0A Current Affair<\/em>\u00a0he believes Mr Docking had been swept up into a turf war, partly for Mr Docking’s efforts in cleaning up the practice of ghost-boarding.<\/p>\n

“Adam is a multi-generational real estate agent. He’s been in the industry 30-odd years,” Mr Way said.<\/p>\n

Cameron Way. (A Current Affair)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“His ethics are extremely high \u2026 I must admit that I felt that he’s been set up with this whole thing.”<\/p>\n

Two types of sandwich-board signs are allowed to be used in real estate: “Open for Inspection” and “Auction Today”.<\/p>\n

They should only be displayed on the day of the inspection or auction.<\/p>\n

Two types of sandwich-board signs are allowed to be used in real estate: “Open for Inspection” and “Auction Today”. (A Current Affair)<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ghost-boarding is when an agent floods the area with signage to give the impression they are more dominant in the market than they really are.<\/p>\n

Mr Way said while the majority of agencies do the right thing, some choose to take advantage.<\/p>\n

“While all of us are complying with the law, you have some agents who are choosing not to and it is frustrating and annoying,” he said.<\/p>\n

At the time of the scandal, Mr Docking was president of Victoria’s Real Estate Institute of Victoria, but he has since resigned.<\/p>\n

A Current Affair reporter Seb Costello spoke with real estate agent Adam Docking. (A Current Affair)<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

REIV has told\u00a0A Current Affair<\/em>\u00a0they’re yet to elect a new president.<\/p>\n

A Current Affair\u00a0<\/em>understands that at a recent auction run by Mr Docking, a rival agency flooded that street with signs, with claims that the signs were fitted with a GPS.<\/p>\n

This information was then given to Victoria Police and that led to Mr Docking’s arrest.<\/p>\n

But Mr Way said Mr Docking was just acting on the complaint.<\/p>\n

“From what I understand, Adam was doing the right thing, collecting up the boards to return them,” Mr Way said.<\/p>\n

Barry Plant’s Eastern Group. (A Current Affair)<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Current Affair\u00a0<\/em>has been told some of the ghost-boarding complaints have been made against Barry Plant’s Eastern Group.<\/p>\n

Mr Plant denied that his group was involved in ghost-boarding.<\/p>\n

He said: “I personally have had a 50-year relationship with the Docking family. I have the greatest admiration for them. Adam is the straightest guy I’ve ever met in real estate.”<\/p>\n

When approached by\u00a0A Current Affair<\/em>, Mr Docking said he didn’t want to comment on the case. Police said no charges have been laid and the investigation will continue.<\/p>\n

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