PHOTO: LIZ MCDONALD/STUFF Auckland agent David Hilliam lost his licence for six months after he admitted consulting a traditional Hindu fortune teller to predict the market.
An Auckland real estate agent who visited a fortune teller for help selling a client’s home has been stripped of his licence.
David Hilliam was found guilty of serious misconduct and lost his licence for six months after he admitted consulting a traditional Hindu “jyotishee”, or fortune teller, to predict the market.
Hilliam was an agent with Zest for Realty Ltd, trading as RE/MAX Zest, when he was contracted by Christa Herbst and Clinton Holmes to sell their 2.5-hectare Waiuku property in 2016, according to the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal.
“Mr Hilliam follows certain Asian religious beliefs and practices and incorporates aspects of these, in particular numerology, into his real estate work,” the tribunal’s decision said.
“Mr Hilliam discussed with [the complainants] how he would incorporate numerological practices into the sale, including contacting his “jyotishee” for information as to auspicious days and times to carry out certain steps in the marketing and sale process.”
When the couple, who have since separated, raised concerns about using numerology, Hilliam assured them it would help sell the property.
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