PHOTO: Mavin Real Estate director Bronwyn Pollitt.
Bronwyn Pollitt, a real estate agent, faced suspension after sending a derogatory email to a former tenant, Sandeep Kumar, in May 2021. In the email, she expressed concerns about immigration, stating her hope that Australia would not be transformed into what she perceived as the less desirable aspects of India.
Ms. Pollitt, who serves as the director of Mavin Real Estate, compared living conditions in Australia favorably to what she described as the crowded and unsanitary conditions in some countries, including India. She cited concerns about overcrowding, pollution, and inadequate healthcare.
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As a result of her actions, Ms. Pollitt was deemed unfit to hold a real estate and business agents license for eight months, effective from September 1, by The State Administrative Tribunal in Western Australia.
Subsequently, Ms. Pollitt apologized to Mr. Kumar, asserting that she did not intend to be racist in her correspondence.
This incident sparked calls from ethnic community advocate Suresh Rajan for a police investigation, as he deemed it a significant example of overt racism that may have violated racial vilification legislation. He also highlighted broader issues of racism in the real estate industry, with ethnic and Indigenous tenants facing challenges in securing suitable rentals and experiencing difficulties with bond refunds upon departure.
Rajan criticized the email’s white supremacist undertones and emphasized the importance of adherence to codes of conduct and anti-discrimination laws by real estate agents, as outlined in the Real Estate and Business Agents and Sales Representatives Code of Conduct and the Equal Opportunity Act 1984. The Real Estate Institute of WA echoed this sentiment, stating that members not complying with these standards should face disciplinary action.
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