So what's the status of the RECBC investigation into MAC Marketing's media manipulation stunt?

Yesterday we told you how it appears the infamous 'Chris Lee' has resurfaced as a sales agent at another MAC Marketing project: MThree in Coquitlam.

'Chris Lee' is fake name for the MAC Marketing sales assistant who, along with MAC administrative assistant Amanda Lee, presented themselves as house-hunting sisters to CBC-TV and CTV-BC. They claimed their parents would be in town from China for the Lunar New Year to help them purchase a condo.

It was, as we now know, an orchestrated lie undertaken by a number of MAC Marketing employees to deceive the media and the public.

There are still many unanswered questions about what happened that day.  All the public was ever told about the fiasco was this Facebook posting by MAC Marketing Solutions president Cameron McNeill...

...that and a short email sent out to media outlets by MAC. When he received a copy of that email, CBC-TV reporter Matthew Black tweeted:

In an email to CBC, MAC Marketing owner Cameron McNeill writes he implemented "appropriate actions" vs employees who duped media and that he accepted the resignation of a "MAC senior manager." But, McNeill won't comment on specifics, citing privacy concerns. Statement from MAC Marketing doesn't elaborate on what "decisive actions" it took, or who was fired/resigned after duping media.

It's disconcerting because there were a number of MAC Marketing employees involved in the whole media sham and no one knows the actual extent of their roles. 

In addition to the fictitious 'Chris Lee' there was her 'sister' Amanda Lee:

there was Nic Jensen:

there was the MAC sales rep who quarterbacked the fake couple through the display suite to deceive the TV cameras:

and, finally there was the MAC sales director who possibly set up the photo shoot, Melanie Briggs. CBC-TV reporter Matthew Black advises Briggs was supposed to be in attendance at the media op but was a no-show. Was she involved in the pre-planning of this deception?

All the players in attendance before the TV cameras that day purposefully lied to and deceived the media/public.  This raises huge questions about their character and ability to carry out their jobs in the real estate industry. According to the British Columbia edition of the Canadian Real Estate Association's Realtor Code of Ethics:

The REALTOR® Code of Ethics of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is universally recognized by real estate professionals and consumers alike as the measure of professionalism in real estate. The REALTOR® Code is intended to define the high standard of performance the public has a right to expect from those licensed to display the REALTOR® trademark.

As REALTORS®, we accept a personal obligation to the public and to our profession. The Code of Ethics of The Canadian Real Estate Association embodies these obligations.

As REALTORS®, we are committed to:

• Professional competent service
• Absolute honesty and integrity in business dealings

• Co-operation with and fairness to all

• Personal accountability through compliance with CREA's Standards of Business Practice

To meet their obligations, REALTORS® pledge to observe the spirit of the Code in all of their activities and conduct their business in accordance with the Standards of Business Practice and the Golden Rule — Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Article 15: Advertising Claims

Claims or offerings in Advertising must be accurate, clear and understandable.

The actions of all the MAC employees at the media op that day were in clear violation of the real estate industry's Code of Ethics.  They blatantly acted to deceive the media/public. Based on this how can the public have faith or confidence in future real estate transactions with them?

When the story about MAC's deceptions originally broke, the Real Estate Council of BC (RECBC) announced that they were investigating MAC Marketing for false/misleading advertising for which  MAC faced fines of up to $20,000 and the individuals involved faced having their licences to sell real estate suspended.

So what's the status of that investigation? CBC-TV reporter Matthew Black tells us that he:

"wrote RECBC last week and was told their investigation is still ongoing. They couldn't say when it would conclude saying it depends on 'the volume of complaints' being looked into and 'how involved' the investigation needs to be."

Which brings us back to the promotional photo which shows MAC's sales team for the upcoming MThree development in Coquitlam. The photo caption doesn't list names but it sure looks like the sales team includes the MAC employee we know as the fictitious 'Chris Lee' and MAC sales director Melanie Briggs:

If this is actually 'Chris Lee', how can she be allowed to return to work while under investigation by the RECBC?

And what of Melanie Briggs?  We still don't know the extent of her involvement, if any, in this debacle.

MAC Marketing president Cameron McNeill has declined to hold a press conference to fully explain what transpired in this fiasco. Because of that the public still has numerous unanswered questions.

In any other field, employees would be placed on administrative leave while under investigation for breaches of a code of conduct.  Apparently this standard doesn't exist in the real estate industry.

Doesn't the public have a right to know if they may be dealing with RECBC members who are under investigation for misleading the public, especially when they may be purchasing thousands of dollars of real estate from them?

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Did a former Global-TV reporter set the stage for the entire MAC deception? - Updated

Meet Melanie Briggs. 

Ms Briggs is a Sales Director at MAC Marketing Solutions and has been with the firm since 2004.  

Here's her LinkedIn profile:

Prior to working at MAC, she worked in Television as a reporter on the show "Inside Entertainment", was co-host of "M-Style" and co-host of "The Ultimate Playoff Show".

 Her bio on the Ultimate Hockey Show says:

Melanie Briggs is best known by her legions of male fans as co-host of M-Style on Men TV. Mel was also seen nationally as a reporter for Global's Inside Entertainment and Movie Central's Inside Movies.

Now having someone with media experience on your staff can be an invaluable resource and as a former reporter with Global-TV, she is well positioned to use her connections to advance MAC's agenda.

Briggs' polished TV media talents are on display for all to see in this youtube clip showing her as the host for MAC's Golden Cube annual awards gala, an annual company shindig to reward top performers. Assuming MAC doesn't delete this too, here is that promotion clip:

As you know by now, the infamous MAC Marketing Solutions media deception was engineered around the Chinese New Year celebrations.

In acknowledging his company's misdeeds, MAC President Cameron McNeill is quoted as saying:

"All I can say is that I deeply apologize for having misled the media for being there. We were busy and I don't know if the girls were put up to it, or just put on the spot, or if it happened spontaneously."

That's going to be a very important question. Were "the girls" put up to it? And if so, by who?

When queried by the Vancouver Province Newspaper as to whether the two employees were asked to play roles by bosses, he said,

“I did not... it didn’t come from the top. I don’t believe it happened on an order."

Hmmm... we'll revisit that one another day.

Back to Ms. Briggs.

It may interest you to know that Melanie Briggs was involved in this January 25th, 2012 CBC news story which was a CNY pre-cusor story for last year's Chinese New Year sales blitz.:

Real estate agents in and around Vancouver are expecting big things this week, thanks to the Lunar New Year, which is typically a great time for sales.

Real estate agent Malcolm Hasman showed four Chinese families through a $7.8 million mansion in West Vancouver on Tuesday. The home has panoramic views, two kitchens and even a heated driveway.

UBC Prof. Duanduan Li says the Year of the Dragon is auspicious for big changes, including big purchases.  

"In the last two days, I’ve had non-stop telephone calls from all the top Chinese agents in the city to show my properties,” Hasman said.

With recent volatility in the stock market, buyers could be even more eager to invest in property, said Melanie Briggs, of MAC Marketing.

“Based on what we've seen in years past in our downtown projects, we've definitely seen at least double the volume of sales,” said Briggs. “So I wouldn't be surprised if we were to see triple the number of sales.

Briggs, apparent PR rep for MAC, was heavily promoting the downtown Maddox development for last year's Chinese New Year period.

(a sales period which, as we now know, was an absolute flop because the wave of Asian buyers failed to materialize)

Given Briggs' background, and her apparent lead role in things media-related for MAC, you've got to assume she played a prominent role in co-ordinating and setting the stage for the company's TV media foray with CBC and CTV on February 9th of this year.

So would it be natural to also assume she was in attendance to liaise with the media that day? 

If so, how is it that this former member of the television profession, this former reporter with Global-TV, and apparent media relations expert with MAC... how is it she hasn't been heard from yet?

Supposedly "the girls" found themselves in the position of perpetrating this fraud without senior MAC management knowing and intervening.

Where was Melanie Briggs?

Something doesn't make sense here.

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Update: The post originally identified the CBC news story of January 25th as 2013 when it is in fact from 2012. That has been corrected.

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