Consumer Affairs Victoria has launched Federal Court action against Ray White Judd White Group and three agents, alleging they deliberately underquoted 11 properties in Melbourne’s east. The regulator claims agents misled buyers and incentivized sales by keeping price guides significantly below expected market values, a practice described by officials as all strategy
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Federal Court Action Against Ray White Judd White Group
The legal proceedings, initiated by Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), target a real estate agency formerly known as Harcourts Judd White, now operating as Ray White Judd White Group. The regulator alleges that three specific agents—Andrew Dimashki, Anna Du, and Julie Wells—engaged in deceptive conduct across 11 sales campaigns in Glen Waverley and Wheelers Hill.
According to the Herald Sun, the case centers on allegations that agents ignored feedback from potential buyers who offered amounts well above the advertised price range, refusing to adjust their guides despite knowing the properties would likely sell for significantly higher sums. The regulator’s evidence includes text messages where agents reportedly discussed the high expected sale prices, with one agent allegedly telling a vendor’s family not to worry about the low advertised figure because it was all strategy
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The Anatomy of a ‘Kicker’ Commission Scheme
The investigation highlights the role of aggressive commission structures in driving underquoting behavior. CAV alleges that vendors signed contracts featuring kicker
commissions, which could reach up to five times the agency’s base rate if a property sold for a price significantly above an agreed threshold. In some documented instances, these sales prices exceeded the advertised range by as much as 60 per cent.
Broader Industry Patterns and Regulatory Crackdowns
This legal action coincides with a wider, state-led effort to curb misleading practices in the property market. Across Victoria, the Underquoting Taskforce has issued more than $3 million in fines, alongside hundreds of warnings to agents.
The prevalence of these issues has led to calls for greater transparency. Guardian Australia analysis indicates that underquoting—defined as sales exceeding the price guide by more than 10 per cent—remains particularly rife in auction-heavy markets like Sydney and Melbourne.
“There’s no standard property, so you can always pick whatever properties you like to basically fudge the data any way you like, up or down. It’s very easy to manipulate the data to suit the narrative.”
Legislative Reform and the Reserve Price Debate
To combat these persistent issues, the Victorian government has introduced reforms requiring agents to publish a home’s genuine reserve price at least seven days before an auction. While consumer advocates argue this will prevent buyers from wasting time and money on properties they cannot afford, the industry has pushed back.
The Future of Market Transparency
As the Federal Court case against the Ray White Judd White Group proceeds, the core question remains whether regulatory fines and new disclosure laws can fundamentally alter industry culture.
Whether the threat of massive financial penalties—up to $100 million for the agency and $2.5 million for individual employees—will serve as a sufficient deterrent remains the central uncertainty for the sector.
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