Real estate agent Mathieu Arseneault, star of CASA's Numéros 1, must appear before the disciplinary committee of the Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtageimmobilier du Québec (OACIQ) on Monday morning. The trustee believes that the broker has dishonored his profession and that the error is serious enough to request an immediate suspension of his license.
Published at 4:17 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
Flamboyant broker Mathieu Arseneault, known for visiting his clients by helicopter or luxury car, violates the honor and dignity of the profession, according to the OACIQ trustee. The disciplinary committee must decide on Monday whether the protection of the public is at risk if he continues to practice his job.
Mathieu Arseneault's film scenes published on social networks have caused great discontent across the Internet and among hundreds of thousands of star broker subscribers for a year.
In videos on TikTok, which were still online at the time of writing, Mathieu Arseneault walks through a shopping center and asks children accompanied by adults, a group of teenagers and a fifth-grade high school senior about their school results. The scenario is always the same. The broker asks the minor: “What are your school results?” »
In one of them, a child answers that her average is 80-90%. “Can mom confirm that?” he asks and turns to the adult. “It's important to me that you do well, I'll give you $100,” he said, handing the child a brown ticket.
When the little girl tells the camera that she will later use the services of Mathieu Arseneault to buy her house, he gives her an additional $100. Do you follow Mathieu Arsenault on TikTok? » he asks again. “No, I don’t think so,” the little girl replies shyly.
“If you followed Mathieu, I would give you $1,000,” he says.
This series of videos earned him disapproving comments and ridicule both online and on comedy shows.
“Sensitive Heart”
Mathieu Arseneault has been a real estate agent since 2003 and currently works for the eXp real estate agency in Gatineau. On his website mathieuarseneault.com he explains: “Yes, I may be one of the most successful real estate agents in the world, but above all I am a father and a husband.” »
He describes himself in three words: broker, father and philanthropist.
Giving back to the community is what keeps me grounded and sharing my success with those in need makes me proud of who I am.
Quote from Mathieu Arsenault's website
In a video entitled “Sensitive Heart” accompanied by sad music, he tells the story of a day when he granted a person with generalized cancer one of his “greatest wishes”: “to take a helicopter ride.” “I can’t say no,” he says into the camera.
However, his critics who criticize him on social networks accuse him of boasting about helping his neighbor and trying to gain sympathy by taking advantage of those most in need.
On TikTok, in a video by mathieuarsenaultno1 with the mentions #makethedifference and #inspiration, the realtor can be seen ordering “100 hamburgers for the homeless” at a McDonald's restaurant. The price he paid appears on the screen: $200.68.
He then says to the camera: “I just put a property up for sale and there are a lot of homeless people right next door. »
“We will feed them, come with me,” he said. The video ends with a tearful tune that points out that “5,500 homes have been sold in the last 20 years.”
This video was viewed millions of times, most notably by comedian Julien Lacroix, who posted a parody of it on Facebook.
Agents also expressed to La Presse their discomfort with their colleague's publications and flaunting of his wealth, which can lead consumers to believe that agents are overpaid or that they manage to enrich themselves by flouting the real estate brokerage law. They believe the videos devalue the image of the real estate brokerage profession and undermine consumer trust in agents.
According to OACIQ data, Mathieu Arseneault is not filing his first complaint since getting his driver's license. With 76 requests for help, it ranks third among brokers with the most complaints.
In the fall, the broker and his wife, also a broker, appeared before the disciplinary committee for creating false documents. The committee has not yet determined whether the brokers are guilty of this offense or not.
Who is Mathieu Arseneault?
Mathieu Arseneault has been working as a broker since 2003.
In 2021 he appeared for the first time on the show Numéros 1 à CASA, of which he became the star broker. He is also on board for the second season of the show.
In the same year, he was fined $5,000 for violating Section 83 of the Ordinance, which respects the conditions for conducting a brokerage business, the ethics of brokers and advertising.
On November 7, 2023, he and his partner Catherine Gosselin were summoned to a disciplinary hearing for producing false documents.
On December 18, 2023, he is expected to appear before the Disciplinary Commission for an act that impairs the honor and dignity of the profession.