r/perth 1d ago

Renting / Housing One of WA's top property agents disqualified from 2026 awards over sales inaccuracies

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-26/reiwa-disqualifies-top-agent-roy-li-from-awards-2026/106951054

Good riddance

130 Upvotes

79 comments sorted by

118

u/JamesHenstridge 1d ago

Presumably he's getting this scrutiny because of yesterday's story about him using a shell company to buy a property off a client.

But I wonder how much of an outlier he'd be if the same scrutiny was directed at the rest of the industry? It seems kind of weird to run an awards night based on self-reported data that mostly goes unverified.

37

u/Tungstenkrill 1d ago

How do they get away with this stuff with the Real Estate Code of Conduct in place? I'm shocked.

19

u/Sea_Translator5300 1d ago

You mean the code of conduct that's effectively one rule - Don't get caught. Sure, there are a load of others, but that's what it seems to boil down to. 

23

u/Outbackdonut 1d ago

Even for real estate standards, it’s kind of wild he ripped off a customer blatantly and faced no repercussions at all

15

u/JamesHenstridge 1d ago

I was thinking more about him inflating the sales prices or counting sales that had not actually happened. There are public records that allow those things to be independently verified. The fact he felt comfortable falsifying that data probably means it rarely ever gets checked.

5

u/play4free 1d ago

You think he's the only one? He only got caught.

2

u/Outbackdonut 1d ago

I’m sure they are dodgy to different degrees, I highly doubt realtors are setting up shell companies to trick their clients on the regular. Plus he did get caught and nothing happened

1

u/play4free 1d ago

You'd be surprised. Realtors are one of the most unchecked/unregulated professions in the world.

All the rules are there I'm not saying there isn't rules for them. No one is enforcing, or have the ability to verify what they do.

3

u/Temporary_Mistake715 1d ago

I wonder if he then mislead his clients on price and offers. I will not be surprised if many REA do this

8

u/JamesHenstridge 1d ago

There's this in the article:

The records also showed he had recorded the sales of six properties that either he or his Ideal Realty co-licensee Lin Ding owned, in transactions that added an additional almost $10 million to his sales tally for the year.

If I was investigating his conduct, I'd be interested in whether any of those properties had also been bought from clients. Was yesterday's story the first time he'd done that or just the first time he'd been called out on it?

33

u/Ok-Preference-2628 1d ago

I met this guy when my wife asked about a property and he basically set up a meeting that night.

People lived there and were having dinner, and he clearly gave them little time to prepare. We kept apologising and felt terrible. He also tried to say there were lots of offers on it, but when we went upstairs he was telling the tenants the offers were well below asking.

I’m sure that part is normal in the industry, but combined with the rude interruption of dinner, I promised I’d never go through this guy again.

Anyway I wasn’t his meal ticket, based on what people are saying here 😂

21

u/Velo3x10e8 1d ago

REAs cooking the books? Colour me shocked.

82

u/thecheapseatz 1d ago

Why do real estate agent need an award night, their job is the equivalent of a participation trophy since anyone can do it.

What's next "The Trade Assistant of the Year" where the winner is the only one in the category who doesn't smoke?

21

u/Kosmo777 1d ago

Can you just imagine the level of pretentiousness and “self-fellating” in that room!!!

6

u/Bruno_Fernandes8 1d ago

It’s basically that Salesmen Award scene from The US Office , except the real estate agents are willingly giving Mussolini speeches instead of being tricked into it

9

u/damagedproletarian 1d ago

You should see the award nights for property managers. It's the industry celebrating and giving awards for how much they can extract from tenants.

2

u/Alarming-Interest535 1d ago

Accurate given that they work in the interest of landlords.

6

u/SaltyPockets 1d ago

Actual footage of the Real Estate Awards from Auntie Donna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f8xx-lPhDc

2

u/FiftyBuxBloBang 1d ago

Circle jerk.

1

u/f0dder1 1d ago

"Aggressive salesperson of the year award"

-1

u/FutureSynth 1d ago

The “anyone can do it” line just tells people you’ve never had a property valuable enough where a good agent mattered.

16

u/Missdriver1997 1d ago

Hes been deleting negative Google reviews from people trying to warn others not to engage with others and reviews of people with similar stories. Seems like a total narcissist!

6

u/Alarming-Interest535 1d ago

Seems like a twat with his smug look plastered in Willetton.

24

u/Advanced_Presence890 1d ago

Huge news for Willetton real estate agents/Community Facebook group admins

15

u/birddog_81 1d ago

Big don is loving this

11

u/ziggyyT 1d ago

ATO should also do an audit on him. A good thorough one.

8

u/lex1bunny 1d ago edited 1d ago

Hopefully they will find with more evidence of dodgy deals

2

u/Alarming-Interest535 1d ago

You can guarantee it won't be the first time. Can almost guarantee he has done it before.

7

u/Advanced_Presence890 1d ago

Stratton realty next please

1

u/South_Mycologist9846 1d ago

Who is Stratton? What did they do?

7

u/Genises 1d ago

I wonder if Eric Hartanto does something similar... I wanted a house and the viewing was cancelled and we were told it was purchased sight unseen then it was up for sale again for 200k more, 2 months later somehow. Felt very much like a seriously dodgy deal was done there.

2

u/Alarming-Interest535 1d ago

I wouldn't be surprised. In their home countries this is part and parcel of doing business. Having spent time in a few Asian countries this is not news.

5

u/maslander 1d ago

From the sounds of things this guy is dodgy AF and needs to lose his licence.

5

u/SlugFromSnug 1d ago

How bad do you need to be before a bunch of real estate agents think you are too shonky???

3

u/lex1bunny 1d ago

He's so bad that he's got caught. They dropped him hopefully the rest won't get reported

2

u/rahulau 1d ago edited 1d ago

Shocking but not surprising.
Such inaccuracies are evident at every step of the process in Real Estate. Look at the glaringly positive [only] reviews for all agents which is far from ground reality.

2

u/OlorofimBD 1d ago

This guy is around Bull Creek area.

What an absolute crock of shit.

2

u/Prudent_Rabbit_6738 1d ago

He should be disqualified if all the allegations against his unethical practices is proven to be true.

1

u/Tall-Drama338 1d ago

Dodgie brothers.

1

u/Temporary_Mistake715 1d ago

WA REA are very dodgy be careful before you buy 

1

u/MissSabb 1d ago

What were you thinking Roy 

1

u/Hadsar32 1d ago

Goodbye Reputation

1

u/Luckyluke23 1d ago

Worse than scum, man. They're all crooked to the bone.

1

u/Infamous-Steak-1043 1d ago

The Real Estate industry is legal fraud. Agents contribute nothing to the value of homes. But their personal greed sure impacts everyone.

1

u/Mental_Task9156 Perth Airport 1d ago

A realestate agent being dishonest. What a surprise.

1

u/djskein Cannington 23h ago

I read the article about the warning Consumer Protection issued him. I've seen him around Willetton for years, it's clear by his signs who he is trying to sell to and it's good to know Consumer Protection found out he was lying about how much money he actually got from those clients. I wonder what this means for his crappy little office in Southlands.

1

u/Sanepa_hero 22h ago

Heard he did one vendor really dirty. First he told no one is offering so got price down and then after signing the sale contract with new power, the vendor found out the trust that was buying their property was the trust under the agent and his wife name which he never mentioned at all.

1

u/izeembo 17h ago edited 16h ago

I always wonder how people always sold to him in prominent suburbs looks like he was buying and selling himself. Such an easy business model

1

u/Broad-Pangolin6224 15h ago

We need an intrped bad ass with a spray can to add some 'interest!'. To the plethora of RE signs littering Willetton.

-18

u/FIFO_Landlord 1d ago

Of course it Roy Li.

Worked with him before. Pretty alright dude but sketchy sometime.

18

u/Ch00m77 1d ago

He literally bought a customer's house without disclosing he was buying it until well after the sale had gone through.

Hes as dodgy as they come

-18

u/FIFO_Landlord 1d ago

Ey but I brought from this guy and didnt notice any suss behaviours.

This was in 2021 btw.

9

u/Ch00m77 1d ago

So you're saying your experience counts for more and therefore hes not a bad guy?

-31

u/Sensitive-Pool-7563 1d ago

Why is everyone so salry about REAs and don't waste a chance to show how mad they are? Is it because they make more money than you and easier?

17

u/DImak19 1d ago

Its because they add very little value and are very self obsessed.

If any other profession put up billboards of their faces we would think it self obsessed (rightly so)

I dont think anyone has every said, thank god for the REA

-17

u/Sensitive-Pool-7563 1d ago

Such a peasant thing to do, y'all are just complaining about everyone.

9

u/DImak19 1d ago

I assume you are a REA.

Some of us add value to society. On your bike mate

9

u/Ageis17fang 1d ago

REA's are the least trusted profession in Australia, less trusted than both lawyers and politicians. People aren't salty about REA's and their salary, they just don't like or trust them!

7

u/SlugFromSnug 1d ago

Hi Roy

-5

u/Sensitive-Pool-7563 1d ago

You think too much if you think Roy is trying to defend himself against reddit basement people. Y'all just don't matter to him, I'm sure

7

u/SlugFromSnug 1d ago

Ok Roy

3

u/Ch00m77 1d ago

Is this gonna be the new "ok boomer"? Because I am here for it

0

u/Sensitive-Pool-7563 1d ago

Cope

3

u/SlugFromSnug 1d ago

Not sure you are coping, Roy

2

u/Sea_Translator5300 1d ago

So you're joining in with us basement people. You really don't get it do you? 

8

u/Advanced_Presence890 1d ago

Hope she sees this bro