A pair of estate agents were left red-faced after being caught on a home security camera mocking a property they had been instructed to sell.
In footage recorded by the owner of the house, the agents were caught discussing how “disgusting” a bungalow they are trying to sell is.
According to the Daily Mail, which exposed the incident and revealed the footage, the agents were filmed making the comments whilst hosting a viewing for the £300,000 three-bedroom property in Ramsgate, Kent, on Saturday.
The agents were also caught criticising the family’s living arrangements and questioning how many people slept in the same room.
The unnamed agents, who work for Wards estate agent in Ramsgate, then suggest that the property needs cleaning and should be knocked down.
In one video clip, the male agent commented on the fact that there was a cat food bowl in the bedroom, stating: “The cat food is there, how disgusting is that?”
The female agent was recorded saying, “Everything in this house you need to clean up, everything. You might as well knock it down.”
The male agent replied: “It’s that bad you might as well.”
The owner of the house told the newspaper, that she was left feeling “low and worthless” after discovering what the agents had said whilst reviewing the CCTV footage.
The mother-of-two, 33, said: “The camera is there to monitor the kids, they have autism. We keep a camera in the room for the children’s safety due to them getting up in the night often.
“I was disgusted. It’s tactless. I just felt so low and worthless. I just didn’t expect anything like that.”
She added: “One of them said our house was disgusting.
“They felt the need to have a conversation about my family slagging us off in our home when they thought we weren’t looking.
“We trusted them with our home and they disrespected us.”
David Lench, group managing director of Arun Estates, which operates the Wards brand, apologised ‘unreservedly’ for the ‘unprofessional’ remarks.
He said: “Since learning about this most regrettable incident at the weekend, Wards have been in close contact with the client and her sister who instructed Wards to market the property.
“We have apologised unreservedly for the inappropriate and unprofessional discussion that took place between two staff members at the property on Saturday.
“Both staff members are extremely sorry for the upset they have caused and are highly embarrassed by their conduct.”
Lench added: “Wards rigorously trains its staff to treat customers fairly and with respect at all times.
“We are disappointed that the behaviour of these staff members falls far below the standards for which Wards are known.
“This is most regrettable as we have never previously experienced an incident of this kind and both staff members have had an unblemished record prior to this happening.
“Nevertheless, we completely agree with the client that this conversation should never have happened and fully appreciate the distress it has caused.
“We are taking the matter very seriously and will continue to work closely with the family to do everything possible to make amends.
“We will also be following our internal procedures with the staff involved and taking appropriate action.”
Comments (33)
What a dive. The pepole with the worst homes are always the most difficult.
I’d have turned that one down!
Is this your gaff Paul? You seem a little too aggrieved. Perhaps it’s nap time.
Seems we have a lot of people who have never spoken negatively about someone/somewhere in a seemingly private conversation. They got caught and now have to take it on the chin and deal with the repercussions. But I for one would be too embarrassed to tell the whole world about living in a dirty house as described. But then again I’m not the sort to show what I’ve had for lunch on social media.
I have to agree with the majority here. A private conversation is a private conversation. As Agents we work tirelessly to service our clients, selling/letting property and keeping deals together, yet when things go wrong, we’re generally the ones to blame! Indeed everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m sure that if we were to hear the content of clients’ private conversations in such situations, it wouldn’t be pleasant.
Estate agents being honest…Nothing wrong with that! The owners should value the feedback and get the house in better shape to sell. As for privacy; the owners are the ones at fault. Anyone remember Roy Brooks? If not, here is the legend remembered for his comic candour: https://www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk/opinion/roy-brooks/
Couldn’t agree more. Only saint like estate agents don’t exchange brutally honest comments with one another when encountering poorly presented properties. If it’s a pit it’s a pit and if the truth hurts, do something about it, should never have been recorded in the first place.
Of course they should value the feedback but surely that feedback should be presented to the vendors directly not behind their backs.
Perhaps it was their first time seeing it after it had been taken on by their manager? No doubt they would have got back to the office and aired their thoughts.
The actual words spoken and in context may have been out of place but it has never stopped me warning a viewer what they can expect and to look passed it and can make of the property. If a property is a hovel, its is a hovel and a viewer will not thank you for misleading them before they arrive and often need encouragement to see beyond once inside. Tact is key.
This could have been handled between vendor and agent.
I’m not sure most sellers would have wanted the publicity.
The agent should have tactfully made suggestions to the seller to aide the sale of the property.
However I will be reminding my staff to be careful.
If we assume we are always being recorded then we should be ok. I was taught to never write a letter or email which you would be embarrassed to read out in court. Same goes for behaviour and cameras etc particularly when in someones home.
I of course feel sorry for the owners of this home, as hearing the comments will cause distress.
I also feel very sorry for the agents.
They were having a private conversation inside the home, between themselves, and people are allowed an opinion.
I know Wards will have worked extremely hard to sell the property and deliver an excellent service, but they have just privately verbalised what many an agent past, present and future, have said to themselves, when an owner is looking to sell and it is perhaps a little bit ‘tired’.
I would also say that there is a duty on the part of the owners to advise ANYONE visiting their home that their visit, by invitation, is being recorded.
I would be really disappointed if the agents are given anything other than a verbal warning, as they did not intend to offend and thought it was a totally private conversation – they are human and it has been a tough year.
Neither party comes out of this well. The agents who at least were unaware of being filmed nor the vendor for letting the world know how they live and prepared to tell the whole world to make a pound. Most people would clean their home before calling in agents and most would want to keep it maintained knowing others were viewing their home they were trying to sell.
Wow, I was disappointed with the poor naive and probably still living at home with mum agents involved but I was more shocked and discussed by the comments above, how dare you be so disparaging about someone and their home, we all come across problems in the selling of homes but we address them professionally and with tact but the above comments say loads about you and it isn’t good.
Perhaps you need a break from this business as it appears to be getting too much for you or maybe you are in the wrong profession.
Can’t actually see what they did wrong. I watched the video, that the Daily Mail grabbed with “great delight”, and they hardly said anything untoward. A cat bowl in the children’s bedroom seems pretty disgusting to me! During most of the video nothing was said, fairly tame. This is just another example of what has happened to the world if owners are prepared to go this far just to get some “compo”.
The distasteful comments above are disgraceful. Do we not respect people’s privacy and living arrangements nowadays? An agent is instructed to sell a person’s property by choice and therfore should respect that client at all times regardless of their own personal thoughts about them or there property
A noble comment, Paul. However, it falls foul the moment you said “do we not respect people’s privacy”.
This recording could actually be illegal. A journalist can release a private recording providing it can prove it’s in the public interest.
Is this in the publics interest? Or is it just to sell a story about estate agents not being nice again?
OK, Karen.
There but for the grace of God etc
Hope the vendor feels good selling the story
I think they’ll find selling the story a lot easier than selling their house now !
I can’t see how a private conversation needs any disciplinary action. The house looks cluttered, dated and dirty.
The conversation should’ve been had with the sellers prior to marketing if that’s how the agent felt. Trouble is, too many are afraid to have frank conversations with sellers.
@ Fluter, I think your response is the best of those I’ve read on here, and totally agree. There are tactful ways the agent could have handled this feedback.
They may have given the feedback more tactfully after the viewings.
Knowing how arun work they have a ‘valuer’ and this could have been the first time the office saw it on viewings.
They did not go out to offend or even give feedback. It was a private conversation.
I have said far worse about houses and clients over the years as I am sure you have.
If every client listened to every private conversation about them or their property ALL will be offended.
Looking at the still images looks like a fair comment.
What’s more distasteful is vendors covert recording. Happened to me and a photographer, but we became aware and took care.
We’re entitled to opinion and this is just one problem of modern society, people take offence too easily. If you feed a cat in a bedroom you have issues.
People just can’t handle the truth.
totally agree. If anyone says they haven’t had a private conversation about the state of a property, they are lying. The fact they were recorded and then outed is worrying. Big brother.
Agreed.
What a gross house.
“It’s disgusting” indeed.
Open House, didn’t think these were allowed at the moment?
Not usually one to stick up for Arun Estates but I can’t see what they have done wrong here.
2 colleagues having a private conversation.
Instead of moaning, maybe the vendor should take the feedback on board.
Or perhaps stop spying on people.