How to File a Complaint Against a Real Estate Agent in NYC

How to File a Complaint Against a Real Estate Agent in NYC: https://www.hauseit.com/real-estate-agent-complaints-and-how-to-protect-yourself/

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There are many avenues for consumers to file real estate agent complaints. These include the New York Department of State, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division.

Before we go further, we want to emphasize that filing a complaint against a real estate agent is a very aggressive move, and should only be used as a last resort or if the agent has threatened litigation against you. You should do everything possible to resolve your grievance directly with an agent before deciding to move forward with a complaint.

This is because filing a complaint against a real estate agent is akin to launching a massive nuclear strike against an opponent.

For example, filing a complaint against a Realtor is similar to filing a complaint with your state’s Bar association against your lawyer, or filing a complaint with your state’s medical board against your doctor.

Any such action is extremely provocative and subjects the accused professional to potential fines, disciplinary action or even a revocation of their license.

If the accused loses his or her license, you will have essentially deprived someone of their means of livelihood.

So, let’s go through each of the ways you can make a complaint:

Report the agent to the New York Department of State

You can report a real estate agent for misconduct either by mailing or emailing a complaint to the NYS Division of Licensing Services.

You can file a complaint against a real estate agent on the New York Department of State website, which contains a downloadable official Complaint Form as well as instructions on where to email or mail the application.

Report the agent to REBNY

New Yorkers can report an agent to the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) for misconduct, incompetence or unethical behavior if the offending agent is a member of this New York City based real estate association.

In order for you to pursue this avenue, the agent you have a grievance with must be a member of REBNY. Keep in mind that there is no single, dominant Realtor association or Realtor-associated MLS in NYC as is commonplace in other parts of the country.

If the real estate agent is member of a different association, such as HGMLS or MLSLI, you would need to pursue the agent through the appropriate trade group.

That being said, Manhattan based REBNY operates as the de facto real estate agent trade association in NYC given its prominence, so chances are that the agent you’re dealing with is a REBNY member.

Although the REBNY website does not have an easy way to file a complaint against a real estate agent, we recommend either calling the main REBNY phone number and asking whom you can contact to file a complaint as a member of the public, or calling the number listed for REBNY Counsel.

Report the agent to HUD for fair housing complaints

If you believe you have been the victim of fair housing law violations, such as steering or discrimination, then this is a federal matter that should be reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. You can file a complaint online on the HUD website in either English or Spanish.

The HUD website also provides a number to call to report fair housing violations by telephone, and also provides members of the public with a form that they can print out and mail to their regional Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office.

Report the agent to the Department of Justice Antitrust Division

Consumers can report real estate agents to the Department of Justice Antitrust Division for violations of antitrust laws, such as such as price fixing, boycotting of discount brokers, bid rigging and market allocation.

You can submit your complaint to the Citizen Complaint Center by email, phone or mail. The Department of Justice Antitrust Division does not have a standard complaint form that needs to be filled out.

So there you have it! If you’re interested in learning more about possible examples of when a formal complaint is justified, please check out our blog post on the Hauseit website. The URL is below: https://www.hauseit.com/real-estate-agent-complaints-and-how-to-protect-yourself/

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Hauseit LLC, Licensed Real Estate Broker
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