Real estate agent fired over "disgusting" comments about renters
A young real estate agent in Sydney's south has been fired after making "vicious" comments online about renters, and bragging about "inflating the market".
Abhnit Kumar from Ray White Macarthur Group in Campbelltown shared an advertisement of a property for sale to his professional Facebook page, with the seemingly innocent post gaining attention for its caption.
The post read, "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 & let's discuss strategy."
The comment was quickly deciphered by his online followers, with one person asking if the market doesn't contribute to a property's price, then "why are you artificially inflating house prices during a period of high inflation?".
The 23-year-old real estate agent responded by asking "wouldn't you like to maximise on the profits you can make" when "selling your biggest asset".
"Unless you wouldn't then feel free to contact me as I have a buyer for your place," Mr Kumar wrote.
The follower quickly hit back, saying "that's not what your post said". "You said you inflate prices, so that the market is overpriced. Your words, not mine ...".
The disgruntled commenter added that they would keep "well away" form Mr Kumar and his agency for his future housing needs.
The agent fired back, writing, "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."
Mr Kumar's last comment, which was quickly deleted, was met with a wave of scrutiny online, prompting one of his followers to screenshot the exchange and send it to Mr Kumar's employer.
The individual who contacted Mr Kumar's place of work branded his behaviour "disgusting" and asked the company to confirm whether his comments reflected its morals, forcing the company to speak out.
"We pride ourselves on customer service. We respect and value each and every one of our tenants," Ray White Macarthur Group wrote in a statement on Monday, addressing the outrage.
"The views of Abhnit Kumar do not align with the values of our group," it continued. "As a result, we've made the business decision to suspend his employment immediately while we conduct an internal investigation."
The backlash spilt over into the post's comment section, with one person slamming the "predatory behaviour" of real estate agents as "vicious", while another shared how "shocked" they were by the agent's comments in the face of Australia's ongoing housing crisis.
Image credits: TikTok / Ray White