A casual inquiry about a property turned sour for a Malaysian man when he was mocked by a property agent for being unable to afford it, causing widespread public anger and condemnation on social media.
The incident, which has gone viral on Facebook, began when the man asked a realtor for details about a MYR 300,000 apartment in Pulau Melaka.
After receiving the information, he clarified that he was only gathering details and had no interest in viewing or purchasing the unit.
“You can’t afford this unit.”
Despite repeated assurances of his lack of interest, the realtor responded with a taunting message, complete with laughing emojis.
“Thanks for telling me, because I don’t even think you can afford this RM300,000 unit.”
Stunned by the response, the man took to Facebook to share screenshots of the conversation.
His post quickly resonated with netizens, who blasted the realtor’s arrogant attitude and lack of basic respect towards potential clients.
A property agent’s thought
Speaking to Joseph Tan, a property agent with 4 years of experience, he thinks that under no circumstances should an agent respond to their client like that.
“Especially in this scenario where the client explicitly told the agent he is not interested, because this actually helped save our time.” He said.
He shared that as a sales agent, sometimes it can be very frustrating when you have been following up with your client for a long time, bringing them to multiple viewings and consultations, but they end up ghosting or declining you.
“So, we should appreciate clients for being very direct.”
He also says that even if the client did “waste” your time, agents should remain professional as this is part of the job.
“There’s always something that might bug you in every job, but if you have chosen to do this, you need to accept the challenges that come along.”
Netizens Angered
The phrase “狗眼看人低,” which translates to “looking down on others,” was repeatedly used by commenters to describe the realtor’s behaviour.
Social media users criticized this as a reflection of the disturbing trends within the local real estate industry.
“People nowadays are crazy!”
Many urged the man to file a formal complaint against the realtor with their agency to prevent further instances of such misconduct.
Some netizens also praised the man for being very patient.
