The winner of Online Estate Agent of the Year has shrugged off booing when his category was announced at a national awards ceremony.

One high street agent who was at last week’s Negotiator ceremony said he was thoroughly ashamed when mass booing broke out among the 250 or so attendees at the prestigious event – see next story.

However, the winner – Alex Gosling of HouseSimple – said he was unconcerned by the negative reaction.

Gosling told EYE: “We are really proud to have won the award for the third year running.

“We work tirelessly on customer service, which is no mean feat when you are growing so fast.

“We have consolidated our position as the UK’s second largest online agency and are gaining rapidly on the market leader.

“The booing, whilst perhaps a little unsporting, didn’t concern us and simply made us feel like we’re clearly doing something right.”

Sheila Manchester, editorial director of The Negotiator, said she had not heard the booing and was unaware that there had been.

She told EYE: “That’s the first I’ve heard about it, I didn’t hear anyone booing, but if there was, I’d like to know who it was.

“With 730 guests, I guess it’s likely that one or two won’t know how to behave, but the overriding noise last Tuesday was cheers, clapping, whooping and backslapping!

“It was a fantastic gathering of the UK’s best agents, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.”