Sydney real estate agent suspended after making ‘vicious’ remarks about renters
- Replies 10
Good real estate agents should be masters of communication and social interaction. After all, it’s their job to represent their clients’ properties, negotiate a good deal for both buyer and seller and close the sale with a smile on their faces.
And as professionals, many expect them to act appropriately both in real life and online. After all, it’s part of the service and the trust placed in them by the public.
But despite these expectations, it seems there's one real estate agent who's crossed a line recently and angered many renters online.
According to reports, a young Sydney-based real estate agent by the name of Abhnit Kumar has been suspended following an internal investigation conducted by the company he works for, Ray White Macarthur Group.
This comes after he made questionable comments online, sparking a major backlash from social media users.
It all began when Mr Kumar shared the recent sale of a $958,000 house on his professional Facebook page.
In the post, the realtor claimed that ‘the market doesn’t dictate your home’s price, the agent does’.
‘If you’re thinking about selling, don’t leave money on the table. Give me a call, and let’s discuss strategy,’ he continued.
This statement caught the attention of social media users, one of whom asked if the market didn't contribute to a property's price, then ‘why are you artificially inflating house prices during a period of high inflation?’
To that, Mr Kumar asked, ‘Wouldn’t you like to maximise the profits you can make’ when ‘selling your biggest asset?’
The realtor added: ‘Unless you wouldn’t, then feel free to contact me as I have a buyer for your place.’
What followed was an exchange between the two that quickly gained the attention of the public online.
In response, the social media user told the real estate agent that his post had not suggested anything like that.
They stated: ‘You said you inflate prices so that the market is overpriced. Your words, not mine. I know when I’m in the market for a house, I will be staying well away from your agency.’
The commenter went on to add: ‘It’s no wonder real estate agents are one of the least trusted professions. But you do, you pal!’
But the agent fired back.
He said: ‘Hey buddy, you clearly must be a renter. Please stay away from my agency, as we would not like to deal with people like you.’
While Mr Kumar deleted this questionable comment later on, it still met with considerable scrutiny online. The damage had already been done.
The previous commenter replied by asking how the agent came to that conclusion and said it was ‘interesting’ that he didn’t want ‘renters’ coming to their agency.
‘Great business acumen,’ they wrote.
In response to the backlash, Mr Kumar clarified that he ‘didn’t mean renters’.
‘I mean people who don’t see value in getting the best price for their asset. Clearly, you guys took it the wrong way,’ he claimed.
The commenter then responded that, ‘at minimum’, they would like an agent who ‘treats everyone fairly and doesn’t discriminate.
‘I don’t want an agent who gets called out on their mistakes and turns it onto others for “taking it the wrong way”. Be better, do better. You’re meant to make people’s dreams of owning a home come true,’ they explained.
Mr Kumar responded that the commenter was ‘100 per cent right’ and acknowledged his mistake.
‘I am in the wrong. I should have handled the situation better. It was uncalled for [by] my comments,’ he added.
However, screenshots of the exchange were sent to Mr Kumar’s employer, branding the real estate agent’s behaviour as ‘disgusting’ and asking the company to confirm whether the incident and Mr Kumar’s views reflected its morals.
Ray White Macarthur Group issued a statement of apology immediately.
‘We pride ourselves on customer service. We respect and value each and every one of our tenants,’ they said.
The company added: ‘The views of Abhnit Kumar do not align with the values of our group. As a result, we’ve made the business decision to suspend his employment immediately while we conduct an internal investigation.’
‘We apologise to our current employees as well as any members within our community if these views have offended [you].’
In a statement to reporters, Mr Kumar admitted he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the trouble and ‘upset’ he caused.
‘It was a total error of judgement on my part, and I promise it will never happen again. I am very remorseful for my comments,’ he claimed.
It also appears that Mr Kumar’s official social media page has been deleted, and his profile has also been removed from the company website.
This isn’t the first time social media users were left ‘horrified’ by the conduct of some real estate agents. In a previous report, an Aussie woman shared how her mum was approached by a real estate agent who asked if she was interested in selling her home.
Her mum declined, citing the recent passing of her husband. But in just a few hours, her mum received a bouquet sent by the real estate agent. Many branded this as ‘predatory’ behaviour, with one calling it ‘super weird’. You can read the rest of the story here.
Have you ever had a bad experience with a real estate agent? Share your experience in the comments below!
And as professionals, many expect them to act appropriately both in real life and online. After all, it’s part of the service and the trust placed in them by the public.
But despite these expectations, it seems there's one real estate agent who's crossed a line recently and angered many renters online.
According to reports, a young Sydney-based real estate agent by the name of Abhnit Kumar has been suspended following an internal investigation conducted by the company he works for, Ray White Macarthur Group.
This comes after he made questionable comments online, sparking a major backlash from social media users.
It all began when Mr Kumar shared the recent sale of a $958,000 house on his professional Facebook page.
In the post, the realtor claimed that ‘the market doesn’t dictate your home’s price, the agent does’.
‘If you’re thinking about selling, don’t leave money on the table. Give me a call, and let’s discuss strategy,’ he continued.
This statement caught the attention of social media users, one of whom asked if the market didn't contribute to a property's price, then ‘why are you artificially inflating house prices during a period of high inflation?’
To that, Mr Kumar asked, ‘Wouldn’t you like to maximise the profits you can make’ when ‘selling your biggest asset?’
The realtor added: ‘Unless you wouldn’t, then feel free to contact me as I have a buyer for your place.’
What followed was an exchange between the two that quickly gained the attention of the public online.
In response, the social media user told the real estate agent that his post had not suggested anything like that.
They stated: ‘You said you inflate prices so that the market is overpriced. Your words, not mine. I know when I’m in the market for a house, I will be staying well away from your agency.’
The commenter went on to add: ‘It’s no wonder real estate agents are one of the least trusted professions. But you do, you pal!’
But the agent fired back.
He said: ‘Hey buddy, you clearly must be a renter. Please stay away from my agency, as we would not like to deal with people like you.’
While Mr Kumar deleted this questionable comment later on, it still met with considerable scrutiny online. The damage had already been done.
The previous commenter replied by asking how the agent came to that conclusion and said it was ‘interesting’ that he didn’t want ‘renters’ coming to their agency.
‘Great business acumen,’ they wrote.
In response to the backlash, Mr Kumar clarified that he ‘didn’t mean renters’.
‘I mean people who don’t see value in getting the best price for their asset. Clearly, you guys took it the wrong way,’ he claimed.
The commenter then responded that, ‘at minimum’, they would like an agent who ‘treats everyone fairly and doesn’t discriminate.
‘I don’t want an agent who gets called out on their mistakes and turns it onto others for “taking it the wrong way”. Be better, do better. You’re meant to make people’s dreams of owning a home come true,’ they explained.
Mr Kumar responded that the commenter was ‘100 per cent right’ and acknowledged his mistake.
‘I am in the wrong. I should have handled the situation better. It was uncalled for [by] my comments,’ he added.
However, screenshots of the exchange were sent to Mr Kumar’s employer, branding the real estate agent’s behaviour as ‘disgusting’ and asking the company to confirm whether the incident and Mr Kumar’s views reflected its morals.
Ray White Macarthur Group issued a statement of apology immediately.
‘We pride ourselves on customer service. We respect and value each and every one of our tenants,’ they said.
The company added: ‘The views of Abhnit Kumar do not align with the values of our group. As a result, we’ve made the business decision to suspend his employment immediately while we conduct an internal investigation.’
‘We apologise to our current employees as well as any members within our community if these views have offended [you].’
In a statement to reporters, Mr Kumar admitted he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the trouble and ‘upset’ he caused.
‘It was a total error of judgement on my part, and I promise it will never happen again. I am very remorseful for my comments,’ he claimed.
It also appears that Mr Kumar’s official social media page has been deleted, and his profile has also been removed from the company website.
Key Takeaways
- A Sydney real estate agent has been suspended after an internal investigation was launched following his questionable comments online.
- Abhnit Kumar from Ray White Macarthur Group shared an advertisement of a property he sold, with controversial comments about inflating house prices.
- The agent's comments quickly received backlash from social media users.
- Ray White Macarthur Group released a statement affirming that the views of Abhnit Kumar do not align with the values of their group.
Her mum declined, citing the recent passing of her husband. But in just a few hours, her mum received a bouquet sent by the real estate agent. Many branded this as ‘predatory’ behaviour, with one calling it ‘super weird’. You can read the rest of the story here.
Have you ever had a bad experience with a real estate agent? Share your experience in the comments below!