So Harcourts can’t be trusted with your data!
The Herald reports:
The real estate agent sacked after the Labour Party was leaked confidential sales data on Asian buyers is back in the Auckland property market.
Grant Hargrave has a new job selling real estate with Harcourts after a high-profile dumping in July from Barfoot & Thompson.
Hargrave was given his marching orders during a political firestorm, accused of leaking sales data to Labour, whose spokesperson for housing and Auckland issues, Phil Twyford, claimed the high count of Chinese names was proof Auckland’s overcooked market was being stoked by offshore investors.
Hargrave has denied any involvement with the leak.
He has denied leaking it directly to Labour. But there is proof he leaked it to others. One News reported:
Barfoot and Thompson managing director Peter Thompson yesterday announced that following an internal investigation the company has terminated the contract of a staff member who has breached its policies, resulting in the disclosure of confidential information.
Mr Thompson said confidential data was sent “by the identified internal source to a number of individuals including the media and political figures. However this does not include direct contact with the Labour Party”.
Now this was highly sensitive data which included the names of purchasers. It was then used to demonise the purchasers. And Harcourts has hired this guy, saying:
But his boss, Harcourts chief executive Hayden Duncan, said he was now a valued member of staff.
“Grant’s working with us now and we’re very comfortable with him and his history. He’s one of the best in the country and is not a concern in any way, shape or form,” he said.
“We take private information very seriously and have rules in place around it.
Barfoot and Thompson had rules also. He was sacked for breaking them.
“After a continued investigation, our systems mean there will be no issues at all. It was only an allegation and we don’t believe there was anything in it at all.”
If there was no proof, then he would easily win an unjustified dismissal claim.
For my part, I would now never use Harcourts to sell a house. I would only use a company that is dedicated to protecting my data.
It would be different if Hragrave had leaked summarised data. That would be far far less serious. But he leaked data showing actual names of purchasers.