Victoria real estate agent fined $200K for affordable housing violations

A Victoria-area real estate agent, Jason Alexander Leslie, has been fined $200,000 and received a six-month license suspension following an investigation by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA). The regulator found Leslie committed “professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a licensee” regarding the purchase of a unit in the Vivid at the Yates building.

The apartment was part of a provincial pilot project managed by BC Housing, which provided units at approximately 12 per cent below market rates. To qualify, buyers were required to have an annual income under $150,000, use the unit as their primary residence, and refrain from renting the property for the first two years.

Leslie admitted to leasing the apartment just one month after taking possession in 2021, stating he had no intention of living in the unit. Additionally, the BCFSA determined he engaged in “wrongful taking or deceptive dealing” by representing himself as his own agent to earn commissions on the transaction. Following an audit in 2022, BC Housing demanded the return of the unit, to which Leslie complied.