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Nearly 30% of Australians say agents played dirty during sales
A new survey of 1,010 Australians found that more than 1 in 4 respondents have dealt with real estate agents who were ready to use dodgy tactics during the sale process or at an auction.
According to the survey, agents’ most questionable behaviours were around appraisal, with 10 per cent of respondents reporting inflated selling expectations to secure the listing, while 9 per cent reported significant underquoting.
Similarly, 8 per cent of the surveyed reported that agents lied about other offers or introduced dummy bids during the auction process, while 6 per cent reported conflicts of interest in which both the sellers and the buyers were represented by the same professional.
In total, 4 per cent of respondents said that agents accepted cash deposits from illegal proceeds.
Agents were also under fire for failing to disclose legal information, zoning or environmental issues, at 6 per cent, while 5 per cent hid building and pest defects.
Others also reported being misled by digitally enhanced photos at 8 per cent.
Finder’s head of consumer research Graham Cooke said the findings showed that buyers could not blindly trust what real estate agents tell them, especially in a hot market.
Cooke said buyers should do their due diligence before buying or selling their property.
“If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Do your own research, get independent inspections, and remember the agent is legally working for the seller, not you,” Cooke said.
He said that while markets are not all the same, some markets, such as Sydney, have seen a surge in “dishonest guide prices, fantasy bidders, and outright lies about developers’ intentions”.
“Buying a home is the biggest purchase most Australians will ever make, yet many walk into negotiations where the deck is stacked against them.”
“As anyone who’s attended an auction in Australia will tell you, agent guide prices are often a fantasy designed to push as many buyers as possible into the system.”
In 2025, the NSW government launched an underquoting task force to counter dodgy agents, which completed 164 audits and issued $2,200 penalty notices to 33 agents.
Last month, the government also introduced the new “Name and Shame” register, where consumers can search for an agent’s or property manager’s records, including fines, suspensions, and licence cancellations.
Similarly, Victoria’s underquoting laws became stricter in November 2025, with agents now required to include three comparable sales in their appraisal or risk incurring a fine.
Cooke said that educating buyers and sellers about the risks will be the way to avoid agents’ dodgy behaviours.
“Knowledge is your best defence. The more buyers understand these tactics, the harder it becomes for bad actors to get away with them,” he concluded.
