Aussies rage over 'arrogant' property sign outside a rental property
A real estate agency has sparked anger among some Australians after posting a sign on the facade of a rental property saying the house had been rented for “a record price”.
The sign was recently proudly displayed outside the home in Coburg in Melbourne's north by an agent from property company Barry Plant.
It informed passers-by that the rental property had been bought 'for a record price in Coburg'.
A photo of the sign was uploaded to Reddit, where it quickly drew the ire of many people, including the person who posted it. The sign was sent to millions of Australian renters struggling to buy a home during the cost of living crisis.
Aussies have been left furious after a sign was placed outside a property proudly stating the house had been rented for a record price (pictured)
“Is this something to be proud of in a housing crisis?” the user captioned the post.
Hundreds of angry users flooded the post with comments saying the sign was insensitive.
'Who would be so proud of how much you just do? [f***ed] someone said you wanted to put a big sign on the front to celebrate?” wrote one user.
“They will soon be auctioning off rental properties so we can all watch on Sunday mornings and be amazed at how high the prices are,” said another.
“Holy hell, we live in a distopia (sic).”
Others said the agent was just doing his job by finding the best price for the property.
'Typical tenant behavior: whining and crying, what do they expect from a real estate agent? His job is to deliver good results for his landlords…” one user wrote.
“Realos [real estate agents] don't work for you [renter]they work for the owner/landlord,” said another.
The officer, who did not want to be named, told Daily Mail Australia the sign was not intended to offend anyone.
'We were hired as agents to catch them [homeowners] exceptional results for their properties,” he said.
Hundreds of Australians slammed the sign (pictured), saying it was insensitive to renters struggling to afford a home
Others said the agent did his job by getting the right price for the house (pictured is potential renters queuing outside a property inspection)
Barry Plant CEO Lisa Pennell told Daily Mail Australia the sign had been removed and said the agency had no intention of upsetting tenants.
Ms Pennell said the company had received many offers from potential tenants that were above the advertised price.
'That wasn't the case [done] through us looking for a higher price,” Ms. Pennell said.
'We did not accept the top offer, but the best tenant who was more than happy to pay above the advertised price.'
Ms Pennell declined to reveal how much the property was rented for, but said the property was a luxury property that tenants struggling to buy a home would not consider purchasing.
According to the latest figures from property tracker Domain, the average price of a two-bedroom apartment in Coburg is $502,000, while the average price for a three-bedroom apartment is $730,000.
The median residential rental price in Melbourne remained stable at $550 in the December quarter, while there was also no change in the median unit price at $520.