Broker Posted Apt I Own "For Rent by Owner" on CL

Lighten up, it's just Astoria.

But seriously what do you think the DA is going to do?

Just flag the ad and e-mail abuse@craigslist.org. They keep on top of that pretty well.

I experienced this in Manhattan- with the posting in the NY Times online. This was a new construction condo, the broker was re-listing apartments in the building that she sold nearly a year prior and she was relisting them for sale- even though no units were available or on the market. It was clearly a bait and switch. I emailed the President of the brokerage- including the links to the false listings, and told them that they had 24 hours to permanently remove the listings, or I would forward the information to the Real Estate Board of NY and ask that their licenses be revoked (both the broker and the President for allowing the behavior to continue). The listings were removed the next day.

Wait, are you telling me that there are slimy brokers out there that would lick the dog-poo attached dollars from off my shoe bottom?

I think you should stop considering all those action items and start doing them. You would be doing the rest of the world a favor.

gcondo - hahahahaha!

He wasn't impersonating you. Anyone who called him would be told "I'm not the owner but I work closely with the owner".

Happens to me all the time. Flag it, email Craig and they remove it.

LOVE you sentence structure, btw!

NYCREAGENT:

1. the agent in question is purporting to be me: that's impersonation
2. she is also trying to divert and STEAL MY PROSPECTS
3. I think agents like that should have their licenses revoked
4. they also damage the public reputation of all RE agents
5. so I'd like to hear from the RE agents and brokers on SE
6. what do you agents think should be done about the problem
7. and this particular agent

rb345: Not sure that they are diverting or would be stealing your prospects successfully. I assume you are not charging a fee for your own rental. On the other hand, I doubt broker is doing this for free, and therefore any smart and resourceful consumer would realize they can get the same apartment for A LOT less money upfront.

are you sure this is a licensed agent? I've seen this on craigslist a lot, sometimes its a scammer just looking to steal people 's security deposits. Look up the license on dos, if he is there, report him to the department of state, email craigslist, and call his office manager.

so is an apartment for rent? details?

These types of scammers seem to target smaller landlords.

They often advertise your apartments at "too good to be true" prices and get unsuspecting, out-of-town individuals to send them a security deposit to hold the apartment.

Friends of mine, who are renting a single family property, have had at least 10 people ring their doorbell inquiring about the property due to false advertisements on Craigslist, Hotpads, etc. Their landlords have to monitor CL and Hotpads daily because the scam ad keeps reappearing.

I have had agents go as far as taking my listings and putting them on Street Easy as their own, Craigs List seems like a free for all but Street Easy has a great policy about that. Its Brokers like that, that make the rest of us look like animals.

I have never posted a fake photo or someone else's listing or actual home in my entire career as a broker. I wish there was a way to get Craigs List to look into these matters better.

Vickie Palmos
Astoria NY Condos

I agree with you. Agents like this should lose their license. Most of you think we all do this but it's really a very small percentage making the rest of us look bad. H

As to this matter, flag the ad for removal and email Craig.

NYCREAGENT/lad:

1. I dont share the antipathy towards brokers that some posters here do
2. being a landlord can be very difficult
3. but being a broker is far worse unless you have an owner or tenant you can trust 100%
4. it seems that the consensus here is that false posters do a lot of harm to their victims
5. and seriously disrupt functioning of the property-for-rent market
6. so shouldn't we pursue them criminally as well as at a licensing level
7. I can see mistakenly posting an apt that is not actually unavailable: agent might now know the truth
8. but every agent know whether they actually own what they are advertising

Ali and other agents who regularly post here - please add your thoughts

i feel bad that this has happened to you. i am a broker and have had other brokers post my exclusive listings, and then get the clients and bring them to my listings. my #1 goal is the get to apartment rented/sold for the owner, and i hate causing any sort of rocking of the cradle, but it did piss me off. There are audacious brokers out there that do shady things, but it is NOT all of us, and we should all not be penalized or looked down upon for the poor choices, and lack of morals some brokers have. good luck, and maybe give a harsh warning first. if this person repeats the offense, knowing they were warned, then its worth pursuing further. some people just dont know, and smaller companies just dont educate... good luck!

Posted the apt you own and it's not even for sale?

Unfortunately this happens all of the time CL is a tough source for transparent information now.

rb345, I feel where you are coming from but is there a reason you have listed your posts?

Creel:

I dont understand your question: did you mean is there a reason I have posted here or or CL.

No, why do you quite literally, list your phrases, 1...2...3...4...5 They almost read like a novel.

Criminal complaints should be made to the police precinct where the crime is alleged to have occurred. The district attorney's office does not take complaints as a general matter--rather, they take over a case after an arrest has been made. In some cases the DA will work with the police on an investigation, but even then, the complaint must be filed first with the police. If this person is a licensed agent, I think the best course is to pursue the matter with the agent, the brokerage and REBNY.

I am an agent and other agents have stole my ads.....easy way to fix this call him up and talk with him

If that does not work and he keeps doing it. schedule appt with him an no show.

"schedule appt with him an no show. "

do that a few times for a few days and then call him and tell him, 'how did that feel?'

My theory is that you want to punish bad behavior (especially bad behavior which impinges on your life) up to an extent where the punishment doesn't impinge on your life.

So yes, write craig because that takes 30 seconds. I've never made a DOS complaint, but my feeling would be to file one (if it doesn't take more than half an hour) or to call the broker (which takes ten minutes) and tell him that if ever does this again, you're filing one. (Pre-emptively, I would follow that complaint up with an email just to have a record of the bad behavior in writing. )

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

Ali:

1. this is a practice whose effects transcend my individual interests, or yours
2. it seems to be a serious and widespread problem
3. which victimizes owners, renters and agents whose listings are stolen
4. the practice also inflicts monetary losses on each of its three classes of victims
5. so why the reluctance to pursue criminal complaints
6. it's particularly harmful to you as a licensed agent because it fees the popular
(mis) conception that all RE agents/brokers are slimy, unprincipled and thieves

7. it's p

Also:

1. it is possible to be confused and/or mistaken about having been given a listing
2. but not possible for any reasonable person to believe they own what they dont own

rb, if you feel that way, then pursue a criminal complaint, and power to you!

I agree with those who pointed to scams. I too have had friends (well, friends of friends) stupidly fall for such scams.

>I too have had friends (well, friends of friends) stupidly

Of course. "Friends"