📝 How Greed and Bad Advice from a Realtor Nearly Made Me Homeless - & Inspired My Mission to refer people to ethical professionals.

🏠 They Said I Had to Leave My Home - But They Were Wrong

The shady advice. The unlawful eviction. The fight I didn’t ask for. And why I built a referral service to protect others from it.

Let me take you behind the scenes of a Whistler real estate deal that nearly wrecked my life.

It started like many others: a property sold, new buyers, and I - the long-time tenant of the coach house - became a problem that had to be “solved.”

Except I wasn’t a problem. I had a legal lease. I paid my rent. I minded my business.

But what I didn’t realize was just how dirty the backroom advice was about to get.

The Advice That Changed Everything

One day, I was served a Four Month Notice to End Tenancy.

The stated reason? The landlord claimed a “family member” needed to use the suite.

If you know tenancy law in British Columbia, you’ll know that this is only legal under very specific conditions: the family member must actually move in and live in the unit full-time for a minimum of 12 months. Weekend use, seasonal visits, or occasional stays do not qualify.

That wasn’t what was happening here.

I had lived in this home since 2021. It was my long-term residence. What I was actually being told - explicitly - was that they wanted me out so the property could be used by family and friends visiting on weekends to ski.

That is not legal. And it was only the beginning.

When the Real Motive Came Out

Shortly after, the story changed.

I was then told they planned to renovate the suite to add another bedroom and “maximize the value.” The problem? The suite was already non-conforming and not eligible for permits under municipal rules. The proposed renovation could not legally be approved.

In other words, the plan was to force me out and carry out unpermitted work in a tiny one-bedroom unit - purely to increase profit.

At this point, the intent was clear: this was not about family use or lawful renovations. It was about pushing out a tenant to extract more money, regardless of the law.

What shocked me most was that this wasn’t happening quietly. I was told these plans directly - plans that clearly violated BC tenancy law and municipal regulations. Anyone familiar with real estate knows that openly stating an unlawful strategy is not only reckless, it creates a clear paper trail.

And I told them exactly that.

Escalation and Intimidation

When I pointed out that what they were proposing was illegal and needed to be done properly, the response shifted to intimidation.

I was told:“If you want to take it that route, we have lawyers.”

So I did take that route.

And in the end, I won.

Despite having legal counsel, they did not understand the law they were attempting to use - or the strength of the case against them. My background in real estate and property management meant I knew exactly what to document, how to respond, and when to push back.

When that approach failed, the situation escalated further.

Their realtor drafted a document attempting to collect statements from other tenants claiming I was “difficult to live with.” These were unsubstantiated allegations, unsupported by evidence. In tenancy law, claims without proof do not stand - and false accusations do not become true simply because they are written down.

Once again, the strategy failed.

The Bigger Picture

This wasn’t just a landlord acting poorly.This was a case of bad advice being encouraged and amplified by professionals - advice that could have left me without a home in one of the most expensive rental markets in Canada.

Why?

To free up the property. To increase rent. To make a deal close more easily. To protect commission - not people.

That experience is exactly why I built Ethical Referrals Whistler.

Because when realtors give advice that ignores tenancy law, zoning rules, or local regulations, the fallout doesn’t land on them - it lands on tenants, buyers, sellers, and communities.

And Whistler is not Vancouver. It is not Toronto. The rules here are different - and pretending otherwise causes real harm.

When Professionals Cross the Line

The realtor, who should’ve known the rules, instead weaponized loopholes and handed the new buyers a script:

“Say a family member needs the suite. This will get her out. You’ll be fine.”

The lawyer? Echoed the same advice — conveniently forgetting to mention it would be a bad faith eviction unless it was genuinely followed through.

But they didn’t count on one thing:I know the law. And I know my rights.

The Fallout Wasn’t Just Legal - It Was Personal

If you’ve ever been unlawfully evicted, you know what it feels like: That sudden, gut-wrenching panic. The scramble to find a new place in one of the most expensive rental markets in the country.The mental and emotional spiral - because it’s not just about a roof. It’s about stability. Safety. Dignity.

But instead of folding, I filed. I brought the receipts. I stood my ground. And I won - not once but three times.

But the Harassment Didn’t Stop There

What followed wasn't a misunderstanding, it was a pattern of a calculated campaign of retaliation. Once the unlawful eviction failed, the pressure simply shifted forms.

• 🚪 Unannounced entries onto the property (yes, caught on camera).

• ⚖️ Legal threats and insurance scare tactics based on requirements that didn’t exist in my tenancy agreement — later dismissed by the Residential Tenancy Branch.

• 🕵️‍♀️ Aggressive correspondence from the landlord’s realtor & lawyer, filled with accusations that couldn’t be proven and were ultimately rejected by an arbitrator.

• 🔐 Locked storage access, sudden rule changes, and isolation tactics designed to make daily life uncomfortable.

• 📑 Repeated attempts to re-litigate settled issues, including filing a review application after losing — which was also dismissed.

• 📞 Complaints to third parties and RMOW Bylaw authorities, even after formal RTB decisions confirmed the facts.

• 🛑 Repeated attempts to shut down my livelihood, including accusations that I was operating a business from my home. These claims were brought forward multiple times, examined in detail, and ultimately rejected. An arbitrator found there was no evidence of harm, risk, or breach - and that this issue could not be used again as a basis to force me out.

When the law didn’t support removing me, the pressure campaign became the strategy.

All of this happened not because I did anything wrong - but because I knew the law, had the audacity to stand up for myself, enforced my rights, and refused to be bullied out of my home.

And here’s the part that matters most:

This entire mess began with reckless professional advice - advice that ignored BC tenancy law, prioritized profit over legality, and left everyone involved exposed to serious financial and legal risk.

This is exactly why I built Ethical Referrals, Whistler. Top Realtor Referral - to connect people with professionals who actually understand the law and don’t torch lives just to close a deal.

Why I Built Top Realtor Referral

This experience shook me. But it also lit a fire.

I realized something: There are good realtors out there - the kind who protect their clients, tell the truth, and understand the Residential Tenancy Act. But there are also realtors who will say anything to close a deal.

So I created Top Realtor Referral - a new kind of matchmaking service for real estate. Here’s how we do things differently:

• ✅ I only refer top-performing, law-abiding professional realtors who treat buyers, sellers and tenants with respect.

• 💰 I’m fully transparent about referral fees - no shady backend deals. In fact, I share part of my fee with buyers and sellers.

• 🛡️ I help protect people from the kind of reckless advice that nearly cost me my home - and can cost buyers or sellers far more when legality is ignored in favor of profit.

Why I’m Sharing This (Even Though It’s Vulnerable)

Most people would brush this under the rug or bury a story like this. I’m choosing not to - because it was never just about me.

This story is about anyone who’s ever been bullied out of their rental by misinformation. It’s about buyers who unknowingly get wrapped up in illegal tactics - because they’re listening to the wrong “expert” and paid for it. It’s about you, if you’re thinking about buying or selling and how easily someone else’s bad advice can become your problem.

Real Estate Shouldn’t Feel Like a Scam

I believe real estate should be based on integrity, not manipulation. On trust, not tactics. On people, not profit at any cost.

Real estate isn’t a hustle - and people aren’t disposable.

If a deal only works when the truth is bent, the law is ignored, or someone gets quietly pushed out, that’s not strategy - it’s negligence dressed up as confidence.

Ethical professionals don’t play fast and loose with the law. And competent ones don’t need to.

You deserve professionals who know the law, respect it, and won’t gamble with your home to protect their commission.

If you want to be in the right hands - I know exactly who belongs there.

If you want someone who knows what they’re doing - and understands the consequences when they don’t - I’ll connect you.

If cutting corners is the strategy, you’re not in good hands.

👉 Book Your Free Consultation Let’s make sure your real estate story is one of security, not loss.