'AITA for telling my friend it's illegal to claim she's a realtor?' 'It's not REALLY a lie.'
"AITA for telling my friend it's illegal to claim she's a realtor when she doesn't have a real estate license?"
My (30F) friend "Suzy" (29F) recently told me she's been representing herself as a licensed agent and realtor to people despite not having completed the licensing exam. She works with a licensed broker named Bob who handles the legal aspects of transactions, but she's still telling people she's a realtor without having the credentials.
When I saw a text where she admitted this, I told her that misrepresentation is illegal and that falsifying a license is a serious offense. I explained that this could potentially get both her and Bob in trouble, since "realtor" is actually a protected term for members of the National Association of Realtors.
She got defensive and said "I don't care" and that "It's not really a lie" and "It's so minor." She claims she's just using the term to make their "brand sound more legit" and that she's "not proactively saying she's a realtor to people in town."
But in an earlier message, she clearly said "Yes" when I asked if she's telling people she's a realtor. And she was sending a text to her friend reminding him that she is a realtor.
She also has stated on their brokerage website that she “got her license in 2024.” I recently saw this and said you need to edit that out because you can’t tell people you’re a licensed agent, and she said she was planning to take it out.
She eventually messaged saying it seems like she “struck a nerve” and that she's not doing anything that "puts Bob or our business at risk" because she's "not handling deals or writing offers." She ended by saying "Lol I don''t care" when I reminded her that misrepresentation and falsifying a license is illegal.
I feel like I was just looking out for her by warning about potential legal consequences, but she's acting like I'm being ridiculous and overreacting. It makes me feel sick to imagine my friend deceiving people like this, and to have complete disregard for the rules. To me, there is zero benefit to her lying. AITA for calling her out on this? What should I do here?
Here's what people had to say about this one:
thenord321 said:
NTA. You'd be surprised how common it is. This happens in tons of large brokerages that hire assistants that aren't fully licensed yet, and puts them to work under a real realtor who signs all the forms.
United-Manner20 said:
NTA but it’s illegal and you know it- call the board and just let them know. Then it’s out of your hands. She knowingly misrepresenting which is lying.
th30be said:
NTA for calling her out but are you actually going to do anything about it? Like maybe call the association for example? If that answer is no, then you aren't actually all that bothered.
Shichimi88 said:
Nta. But if you have guts, you would expose her in front others and that broker because you are currently doing nothing to solve the problem.
No-Friendship-1498 said:
NTA. Now it's time to figure out why you're doing this. If it's truly out of concern for her, let it go. She has heard what you're saying, is aware of potential trouble, and has decided it's worth the gamble.
If it's because you feel what she's doing is wrong, report her. She's demonstrated that she won't stop on her own. This will force her to stop, or you'll find out you've been wrong like she says. Either way, problem solved.
itsbritain said:
NTA, but I would question the friendship of someone who seems both pretty unethical and generally rude to someone trying to help out. You assumed she wasn’t doing this with dishonest intentions, but it seems like she is fully aware what she is doing is illegal but doesn’t care. Now you get to decide if you want that kind of person as your friend.