QUESTIONS 1 THROUGH 18 RELATE TO ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

15. Beth Kozniak, a CFA candidate, is an independent licensed real estate broker and a well-known property investor. She is currently brokering the sale of a commercial property on behalf of a client in financial distress. If the client’s building is not sold within 30 days, he will lose the building to the bank. A year earlier, another client of Kozniak’s had expressed interest in purchasing this same property. However, she is unable to contact this client, nor has she discovered any other potential buyers. Given her distressed client’s limited time frame, Kozniak purchases the property herself and foregoes any sales commission. Six months later, she sells the property for a nice profit to the client who had earlier expressed interest in the property. Does Kozniak most likely violate the CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct? A. No B. Yes, she did not disclose her potential conflicts of interest to either client. C. Yes, she profited on the real estate to the detriment of her financially stressed client.