EXCLUSIVE: Shocking moment pair of 'tactless' estate agents are caught on camera branding a £300k bungalow they are trying to sell 'disgusting'
- A home security camera caught the estate agents criticising the property in Kent
- In footage recorded in one of the children's bedrooms, the agents were heard making a series of ill-judged comments
- One of them said it was 'disgusting' that a cat food bowl was kept in a bedroom
- The female agent adds the whole property needs cleaning and knocking down
- The homeowners were furious when they heard the agents' remarks on the security camera
- Wards estate agent in Ramsgate, Kent, who employ the pair, apologised 'unreservedly' for the 'unprofessional' Shocking footage shows the moment a pair of tactless estate agents are caught discussing how 'disgusting' a bungalow they are trying to sell is.
The unnamed agents were filmed making the 'unprofessional' comments whilst hosting an open house viewing for the £300,000 three-bed property in Ramsgate, Kent, on Saturday.
A home security camera, installed in the children's bedroom of the house, caught the pair criticising the family's living arrangements and questioning how many people slept in the same room. The agents, who work for Wards estate agent in Ramsgate, then suggest that the property should be knocked down because it is in such a bad state.
In footage recorded in one of the bedrooms during an open house viewing, the estate agents can be seen trying to work out where everyone sleeps in the bungalow In the clip the male agent points at family's cat food bowl in the bedroom and says: 'The cat food is there, how disgusting is that?'
The pair are then heard talking outside the room with the male agent commenting that the floors need a 'mop.'
The woman jokes in response that the flooring needs to be pulled up instead.
She adds: 'Everything in this house you need to clean up, everything. You might as well knock it down.'
The man replies: 'It's that bad you might as well.'
The owner of the house said she was left feeling 'low and worthless' after discovering what the agents had said whilst checking the CCTV in her autistic sons' room.
The owner of house, a 33-year-old mother-of-two said she was left feeling 'low and worthless' after hearing the comments made on video by the agents
The three bedroom bungalow in Ramsgate, Kent, was on the market for £300,000 when the agents made their catty remarks about it
The unnamed male and female agent were recorded saying that the whole property needed to be cleaned from top to bottom and the woman remarked that it should be knocked down
One of the agents was recorded saying that it was 'disgusting' that the owners left a bowl of cat food in one of the bedrooms. Pictured: The lounge of the property on the market
The mother-of-two, 33, who doesn't want to be named, said: 'I am just so angry I was so shocked when I saw it. They were all nice to my face.
'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.'
In one of the three videos, the man and woman who work for Wards estate agent in the town can be seen trying to work out where everyone sleeps.
The woman, her partner, 30 and two sons, five and nine, live there but they wrongly assumed her sister and partner resided there too.
Wards, the estate agents responsible for selling the bungalow, has apologised 'unreservedly' for the pair's 'unprofessional' comments
David Lench, Group Managing Director of Arun Estates - which has Wards as one of its brands - 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.'
She 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.
The homeowners have taken the property off the market with Wards. The mother of two said: 'I am just so angry I was so shocked when I saw it. They were all nice to my face.'
'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.'
No comments: