PHOTO: Sydney, Australia. Belle Co
A Sydney real estate agent has been slammed for high-pressure tactics after giving a potential buyer just 40 minutes to make an offer on an $800,000 home—a move that has left industry experts and homebuyers outraged.
Unbelievable Text Messages Reveal Shady Sales Tactics
The aggressive sales approach came to light after Simon Berry, a friend of the prospective buyer, shared screenshots of their interaction with the agent on TikTok.
🔹 The buyer had just finished their first inspection of a property near Quakers Hill, 70km northwest of Sydney’s CBD, when they received a message demanding they submit an offer by 7:30 PM—just 40 minutes later.
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🔹 The agent’s message read:
🗣️ “This is a superior property to other comparables. This is selling… You have 40 minutes.”
When the buyer asked for more time to review documents, the agent rudely dismissed them, saying:
🗣️ “Forget about this one.”
Buyer Pressured with Fake Urgency?
The next day, the agent followed up, claiming multiple offers had already been made.
But in a shocking twist, one week later, another friend of Berry’s enquired about the same property—only to find it was still on the market.
Berry exposed the dubious tactics in a viral TikTok video, stating:
🗣️ “It has now been three weeks since the first interaction, and the property is still unsold.”
@simontheberry Clearly making millions per year from pressuring first home buyers into sales has worked for this real estate agent Note: AI images have been used instead of the real listing for privacy reasons #realestate #Sydney #property #firsthomebuyer
Simon Berry called out the real estate agent for his ‘rude’ texts
Industry Backlash – Calls for More Regulation
The video sparked outrage in the comments section, with dozens of homebuyers sharing similar horror stories:
💬 “The agent is so aggressive!!!”
💬 “I had an agent tell me ‘Good luck, you’ll never get into the housing market’ just because I refused to overpay.”
💬 “The silent bidding war via text practice is rampant – the industry needs regulations.”
NSW Fair Trading Investigates
🔎 NSW Fair Trading has since confirmed it is investigating the matter, stating that real estate agents must act fairly, honestly, and professionally.
A spokesperson warned that high-pressure sales tactics and misleading negotiations are strictly prohibited under the Property and Stock Agents Regulation.
Is This a Common Practice in Real Estate?
With rising property prices and intense competition, some real estate agents are resorting to aggressive sales tactics to force quick decisions.
However, buyers should know their rights and be wary of:
✅ High-pressure sales deadlines
✅ Mysterious bidding wars with no proof of offers
✅ Agents dismissing buyers for asking reasonable questions
📢 Have you experienced aggressive real estate tactics?
SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL