A house in Vancouver is listed by Layla Yang, a Re/Max agent who is named in a would-be home buyer’s complaint to the industry regulator and police.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Vancouver realtor Layla Yang denies she made a threatening call to a local businessman over a multimillion-dollar real estate listing, as reported by The Globe and Mail last month.
Ms. Yang's lawyer, Bryan Baynham, wrote to The Globe on Friday, stating that "Ms. Yang has never spoken to the anonymous source quoted in your articles, let alone threatened his life."
He said Ms. Yang will not answer questions about the allegations. "Layla will not be giving an interview."
The alleged victim, who says he fears for his family if he is named, said he stands by evidence he gave to police. It suggests the call came from a phone connected to Ms. Yang, who works for Re/Max.
"Her voice is very special. Because I met her in one open house … if you've heard it before, you can never forget about that," the businessman said.
He came forward last month, immediately after he said he was threatened. Records show he received two calls on May 2 from a cellphone used by Ms. Yang's sister. The businessman said the caller identified herself as Layla Yang and threatened him, so he hung up. When she called back a minute later, he recorded the conversation. The Globe had the call translated.
"I'm telling you, don't … cause me troubles," the female caller said in Mandarin. "… You don't fucking want to be alive."
That call was followed immediately by one from an unidentified man who demanded to know the businessman's address and told him in Mandarin, "You have lived for too long."
The businessman said the calls came the day he had a dispute with Ms. Yang's assistant, Mo Tao.
Ms. Tao told The Globe she had called him earlier to tell him a house he was interested in had just been listed for $4.28-million.
The businessman claimed Ms. Tao told him he must bid at least $1-million more to be competitive. He said he felt realtors should not promote houses "like stocks" in Vancouver, and told her so. He said he also threatened to report the activity to the Canada Revenue Agency, because the new owner was trying to flip the house just days after buying it.
"I didn't think it was so serious that someone would threaten my life," he said.
Ms. Tao confirmed Ms. Yang was with her sister that evening.
The realtor has repeatedly ignored or refused to answer questions about who made the calls.
Vancouver police and B.C.'s real estate industry regulator are investigating.
Kathy Tomlinson