A realtor who assured former Vancouver Liberal MP Simma Holt that she wouldn't sell her a leaky condo but then went ahead and did so has been ordered to pay Holt nearly $20,000.

Lower Mainland realtor Ada Van Leeuwen did not adequately discuss concerns about leaks that were raised in the strata council's minutes with Holt, a B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled.

The judge said Van Leeuwen "either knew or ought to have known the condominium in Port Moody had significant water ingress problems."

Holt, who was in her late 70s at the time, said she had been promised by Van Leeuwen that she would not be sold a leaky condo.

The judge found Van Leeuwen negligent and ordered her to pay Holt's repair assessment of $14,527 plus another $5,000 in damages.

The president of the B.C. Real Estate Association calls it a "hard promise to make" as condos that aren't leaky at the time of sale can develop problems later.

Kelly Lerigny also notes that since Holt bought her condo in 1999, more training has been put in place for realtors to identify problem properties.

Lerigny also says consumers should check at least two years of strata minutes before buying any property.