Edmonton real estate agent receives 1-month suspension for lying, attempted bribery: officials

Mike Banks (Source: Re/Max.ca)

An Edmonton-area real estate agent has had his licence suspended after a hearing by the Real Estate Council of Alberta.

As part of a decision dated Jan. 17, Michael (Mike) Cordell Banks of Excellence Real Estate Edmonton Ltd. is prohibited from trading in real estate from Jan. 31 to Feb. 28, and must pay a $21,000 fine for violations of the Real Estate Act.

The hearing panel found that between Nov. 23, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2021, Banks traded in commercial real estate without being licenced to do so.

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The hearing document shows Banks began communicating with a potential client about commercial real estate property on Nov. 23, 2021, without advising that he was not licensed to deal in commercial real estate.

The client indicated to Banks they wanted to purchase a property before the end of the year.

Banks attempted to write a commercial real estate exam at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) on Dec. 8, 2021.

At that time, NAIT required all students, staff, contractors and visitors to have a COVID-19 vaccine and to provide proof of vaccination.

The panel found Banks had been advised of the policy when booking the exam and was told if he did not meet the requirements he could be denied entry.

On the date of the exam, the decision shows Banks attempted to enter the exam with a negative test result, and was told this was not acceptable.

He admitted he was not vaccinated, but returned shortly after with an older form of proof of vaccine with no QR code.

According to the decision, the document appeared to have been photoshopped.

He was told he needed to provide a form of proof that included a QR code.

He then provided a QR code, which when scanned, did not match his identity.

According to the documents, he then said, “Ok I’m not vaccinated, I just really need to write the exam.”

He was denied entry.

He then claimed he had a medical reason for being unvaccinated and was directed to a verification centre to apply for an exemption.

He returned a short time later and was again denied entry to the exam when it was discovered he had lied to the verification centre about being medically exempt from the vaccine.

The decision says that he then told the exam coordinator that he had a “big deal” pending and needed to write the exam and attempted to bribe the coordinator, offering financial gifts of up to $1,000 or a year of her salary.

He was asked to leave the property.

Banks contacted the support line for the exam centre the same day and asked if he had been marked a no-show for the exam

Upon being told that he had been marked a no-show because he was unvaccinated, he was told he would have to pay for another exam.

Banks claimed that he had been given access to the testing centre, but the exam would not load on the computer.

After it was confirmed that he had been denied access to the testing centre and would have to purchase another exam, the documents show he told the exam centre, ‘’I’ve gone through enough f***ing bullshit because of this, I have wasted too much of my time, I shouldn’t have to pay for another exam."

Banks ultimately received his commercial real estate licence on March 14, 2022.

The panel found Banks lied multiple times in an attempt to gain entry to the exam, attempted to bribe the exam administrator, and lied to a potential client.

“On Dec. 8, 2021, [Banks] did not comply with the Education Code of Conduct for Learners, Principle 2, which states that Learners will at all times conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, and respectfulness, per s. 41(k) of the Real Estate Act Rules,” the decision says.

The document notes Banks has no other previous disciplinary history.

Any consumers or licensees with deals in progress with Banks or with questions about licence suspensions can contact [e-mail] or [phone] (option 4).