PHOTO: Sweeney Real Estate in Yarraville

A Melbourne real estate franchise that has been marred by serious sexual harassment allegations has now been found to have also deceived customers with repeated underquoting and false and misleading conduct.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last week found that Sweeney Estate Agents in Yarraville and Footscray, breached the Estate Agents Act on 65 occasions between 2014 and 2016.

The Yarraville office of Sweeney Estate Agents is already the subject of sexual harassment allegations, including claims its former chief executive sent a pornographic image to a female colleague and made a string of inappropriate comments.

The VCAT ruling came after a Consumer Affairs Victoria investigation found the sale of more than 50 properties in Melbourne’s inner-west were affected by the misconduct of the franchise and its former director Dean Johnson, who was also banned in 2011 for underquoting.

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