Profit on Supplies Used in Property Management
Article 6, Part 6
The Complaint
REALTOR® A, a property manager, bought at wholesale prices, janitorial supplies used in cleaning and maintenance of an office building which he managed for his client, Owner B. In his statements to Owner B, he billed these supplies at retail prices.
REALTOR® A’s practice came to the attention of Owner B who filed a complaint with the local Board of REALTORS® , charging REALTOR® A with unethical conduct in violation of Article 6 of the Code of Ethics.
The Hearing
In questioning during the hearing called by the Board’s Professional Standards Committee, REALTOR® A’s defense was that the prices at which he billed these supplies to his client were no higher than the prices which Owner B had been paying prior to putting the property under REALTOR® A’s management. It was clearly established that no disclosure of this profit or supplies used in property management had been made, and also that in proposing the management contract, REALTOR® A had held out to Owner B the inducement of attainable economies in operation.
The Conclusion
REALTOR® A was found by the Hearing Panel to be in violation of Article 6.