Information for Sellers/Potential Sellers and Buyers/Potential Buyers
Harcourts Group Ltd and its franchises are all licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008 and therefore our agents, branch managers and salespersons are bound by the Real Estate Agents Act (Professional Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2012 required by section 14 of the Real Estate Agents Act. The rules should be read in conjunction with the Act and regulations.
As required under the rules, Harcourts has an in-house Complaints and Disputes Resolution Procedure (See Below).
Please note: you may access the Real Estate Authority’s complaints process without first using Harcourts in-house procedures; and any use of our in-house procedures does not preclude you from making a complaint to the Authority.
Information for Residential Property Sellers/Potential Sellers
If you are considering listing a residential property you should ensure you have been given a copy of the New Zealand Residential Agency Agreements Guide prepared by the Real Estate Agents Authority. (Please note: you will need to acknowledge (in writing) receipt of the guide before you sign a Harcourts agency agreement.)
Information for Residential Property Sellers/Buyers
If you are considering either selling or buying a residential property you should ensure you have been given a copy of the New Zealand Residential Property Sale and Purchase Agreements Guide prepared by the Real Estate Agents Authority. (Please note: You will need to acknowledge (in writing) that you have received the guide before you sign a Harcourts sale and purchase agreement.)
Harcourts Complaints and Disputes Resolution Procedure
Introduction
In accordance with Rule 12 of the Real Estate Agents Act (Professional Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2012 all licensed real estate agents are required to have a written In-House Complaint and Dispute Resolution Procedure.
You are not required to use our In-House Complaint and Dispute Resolution Procedure and you may wish to make a complaint directly to the Real Estate Agents Authority at any time. You can make a complaint to the Real Estate Agents Authority even if you choose to also use our In-House Complaint and Dispute Resolution Procedure.
In-House Complaints and Dispute Resolution Procedures
Our In-House Complaints and Dispute Resolution Procedure is designed to provide a simple and personalised process for resolving any complaint you might have about the service you have received from our agency.
Step 1: Call us and ask to speak to the Agent Licensee. Tell the Agent Licensee who you are complaining about and what your concerns are. Let the Agent Licensee know what you would like done about your complaint.
Step 2: The Agent Licensee might request that you submit your complaint in writing for a thorough investigation. The Agent Licensee will need a brief period to talk to the team members involved. We aim to provide a response to your complaint within ten working days. If you are not satisfied with the response received from the Agent Licensee, then we may ask you to meet with the members of our team to discuss the complaint and try to agree on a resolution.
Step 3: If we are unable to come to an agreed resolution after then we will provide you with a written proposal to resolve your complaint.
Step 4: If you do not accept our proposal, please try and advise us in writing within five working days. You can, of course, suggest another way of resolving your complaint.
Step 5: If we accept your preferred resolution, we will attempt to implement that resolution as soon as possible. If we decline your preferred resolution, we may discuss referring the matter to an independent mediator.
Step 6: to mediate the dispute, then that will be the end of our process.
Remember, you can still make a complaint to the Real Estate Agents Authority in the first instance, and even if you use these procedures, you can still make a complaint to the Real Estate Agents Authority at any time. You can contact the Real Estate Agents Authority on 0800 367 7322 or visit rea.govt.nz for more information or for a complaint form
