July 18, 2026 — 12:31pmA star trio of real estate agents and a firm are accused of underquoting properties in Melbourne’s east by hundreds of thousands of dollars, in what the consumer watchdog is calling one of the most serious cases since its underquoting taskforce was launched.Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) has launched Federal Court action against Harcourts Judd White for alleged breaches of property sales laws, and CAV executive director Nicole Rich also alleged at a press conference on Saturday that one or more of the agents had told a vendor that underquoting was “all strategy”.Consumer Affairs Victoria executive director Nicole Rich (left) and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Edbrooke on Saturday.Alexander DarlingCAV confirmed the three agents are Andrew Dimashki, Anna Du and Julie Wells. Rich confirmed all three are still selling properties – including some inspections scheduled for Saturday.In a press release, CAV alleged the agency and the three agents representatives “underquoted the expected sale price of 11 properties and acted in a deceptive way throughout the relative sales campaigns”.“Vendors were signed up to contracts that provided ‘kicker’ commissions, up to five times the base rate, when properties sold above an agreed price – some by as much as 60 per cent above the advertised range,” CAV said.Rich later told reporters the 11 properties were sold in the Glen Waverley and Wheelers Hill areas.Real estate agents (from left) Andrew Dimashki, Anna Du and Julie Wells are accused of underquoting.Internet“We see discrepancies of several hundred thousand dollars in some of those cases,” she said.“We allege from the evidence that it’s very, very clear the agency and the agents were well aware they were advertising the prices significantly lower than the market was likely to sell for.“In many of those cases, they had potential buyers contacting them asking if the seller would accept offers that were much higher. They were saying no, and then they weren’t adjusting the advertised price.“In some of the cases, we have evidence, such as text messages, where they were commenting on how much higher the price was going to go, or in one case, telling the vendor’s family not to worry about the lower advertising price because it was ‘all strategy’.”The allegations relate to the three agents working at Harcourts Judd White. Wells now works at another firm, Buxton. CAV has not made any underquoting allegations against Buxton.Dimashki, Du and Wells have been contacted for comment. Du and Wells declined to comment and Dimashki is yet to respond to the allegations. Ray White, Harcourts and Buxton have also been contacted.The allegations come after the landmark Bidding Blind investigation by this masthead last year revealed underquoting was rampant in Melbourne, and that prospective home buyers frequently couldn’t rely on the price guide provided.In Bidding Blind’s data, Harcourts Judd White rated as one of the worst agencies for selling properties above the top of the advertised range, with 80 per cent of the 66 properties tracked selling above the top of the range. The properties monitored sold for an average of more than $80,000 over the top of the advertised range.In response, the state government has announced new laws that will require agents to publish a home’s genuine reserve price at least seven days before a home is to be sold. The laws will take effect on October 1, though the agency and three agents will only be pursued under the previous laws.Rich did not detail how large a penalty CAV was seeking if the allegations were proven.In April, Ray White Oakleigh was fined $600,000 for underquoting nine properties. Maximum penalties for breaching the laws are $100 million for corporations and $2.5 million for individuals.Rich detailed the allegations against Harcourts Judd White and the three agents at a press conference also attended by Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Edbrooke. He said 30 inspectors would be checking auctions in Melbourne’s inner north across the weekend to make sure underquoting had not occurred.The matter is listed for a hearing in the Federal Court on September 4.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:Bidding blindVictoria residential propertyFor subscribersFrom our partners