Question

Tina is a real estate broker who has been asked to sell a property by a client. The property is exactly what she has wanted for herself. She knows the seller is unaware of the value of the property and is relying on her to make the best decision. She knows if she markets it aggressively, she can get several thousand dollars more for the property than the seller is asking. Tina talks to her son and asks him to buy the property in his name, with her funds, and to transfer the property to her after the transaction is completed. She contacts her client and tells him she has a buyer ready who is offering to purchase the property for a thousand dollars over the listing price. The seller agrees to the sale unaware of the other issues involved.
Which of the following best describes Tina’s actions?

a. Tina has knowingly engaged in a conflict of interest.
b. Tina helped her client enter a transaction in which everyone benefitted.
c. Tina has sacrificed a thousand dollars more than she needed to pay for the property.
d. Tina has no ethical issues because the seller received more money in the transaction than the listing price.

Answer 1

Tina is a real estate broker who has been asked to sell a property by a client. The property is exactly what she has wanted for herself. She knows the seller is unaware of the value of the property and is relying on her to make the best decision. She knows if she markets it aggressively, she can get several thousand dollars more for the property than the seller is asking. Tina talks to her son and asks him to buy the property in his name, with her funds, and to transfer the property to her after the transaction is completed. She contacts her client and tells him she has a buyer ready who is offering to purchase the property for a thousand dollars over the listing price. The seller agrees to the sale unaware of the other issues involved-The statement that best describes Tina's action is -Tina has knowingly engaged in a conflict of interest.

Explanation:

A conflict of interest refers to a situation in which the the individual is benefiting personally from her position and is not thinking about the interest of the other party involved.

In the above question Tina who is a real estate agent is taking advantage of her position to gain personal benefit by buying the property of her client through her son and the party involve is unaware of the intention of tina

So it is appropriate to say that Tina has knowingly engaged in a conflict of interest.