A woman south of Brisbane has claimed she was defrauded of nearly $200,000 by a real estate agent who allegedly pressured her into a premature property sale and misappropriated the proceeds, a tribunal has heard.

The dispute centers on James George Chetcuti, a former agent with First National Cleveland. In May 2021, the woman contacted the agency to inquire about an off-the-plan townhouse. According to tribunal testimony, Chetcuti responded and subsequently encouraged her to purchase the townhouse and sell her existing home through him, despite the new property not yet being completed.

The woman alleges Chetcuti convinced her to transfer $198,509 from the sale proceeds, purportedly to invest in shares. Instead, he is said to have misused most of the funds. During this period, Chetcuti arranged for her to rent a unit through First National Cleveland, where his wife served as the property agent; she is not implicated in any wrongdoing.

The tribunal was told Chetcuti had previously been ordered by the District Court to repay nearly $200,000 to another couple who had invested with him under the impression that their funds were held in an institutional term deposit. In July 2021, Chetcuti himself was declared bankrupt following his own application.

The woman only became aware of the alleged misappropriation in mid-2023, prompting her to contact the agency and notify police. Subsequently, Chetcuti was terminated and charged with fraud and uttering. His legal proceedings remain ongoing.

By the time the townhouse was completed in 2024, the woman no longer had the financial means to purchase it, and the property was sold in July. Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Rebecca Bellamy ordered that $271,226 be paid to the woman as compensation.