PRD Toowoomba real estate agent Mitchell Betheras roasted for homophobic slur in ‘confrontational’ response to tenant who asked for feedback on what the agency was like to deal with
A senior real estate agent has apologized after posting insults to a tenant during a heated online discussion in a public community group.
Tim discovered that PRD Toowoomba had been hired to manage his Queensland properties and took to Facebook to ask others in the area if the agency was pleasant to deal with.
‘Someone who rents through PRD? We just had our landlord move to them and wanted to know what they are like,” Tim wrote in the Toowoomba Community Notice group.
To his surprise, Senior Property Manager Mitchell Betheras personally responded to his inquiry, writing that Tim should have simply contacted the agency itself to ask such a question.
“YOU were going to be my client, but your Facebook post made me reconsider,” Mr. Betheras responded.
“I am the all-rounder in the field of PRD real estate management,” he wrote.
Senior Property Manager at PRD Toowoomba, Mitchell Betheras (pictured), has apologized after launching a homophobic tirade against a new tenant
Tim asked a Toowoomba community group if PRD was a good cop to deal with before Mr Betheras started his tirade which Tim said was threatening
Tim asked what he said to trigger Mr Betheras, to which the officer said that PRD did not operate through Facebook and that they had a ‘very strict selection of tenants’.
“Again, if you are not satisfied with your rental, please leave, for there will be someone who will live. Obviously not everyone is as picky as you,” Mr. Betheras continued.
After another community member defended Tim, Mr Betheras snapped, telling them both to ‘f*** off’ and questioning whether either was a ‘closet f**’.
Other people also responded to the dispute and unanimously sided with Tim, who told Yahoo that the exchange scared him.
“He suggested he would use his authority to kick me out of my property,” he said.
“I fear for…anyone who should be under Mitch’s property management.”
Mr Betheras has since apologized after people began criticizing him on his personal account for his “unprofessional” and “offensive” behavior.
After another community member defended Tim, Mr. Betheras inexplicably asked if either of them was a “closet f**”
The senior property manager has since apologized for his actions and said he believed Tim was attacking him personally with his first question
The senior broker returned to the comment thread and personally apologized to Tim, who said he forgave him.
‘I’m deeply sorry. I want to apologize. I really thought you were targeting me professionally and personally,” Mr. Betheras said.
Tim responded by reiterating his confusion about what had caused the verbal attack in the first place.
“If you found my comments truly offensive, that says a lot about your ability to act professionally,” he said.
Tim said it was completely inappropriate for Mr Betheras to behave the way he did in a public forum “about the fact that he has complete control over where me and my family live.”
Toowoomba PRD co-director Kim Taylor confirmed the agency was investigating the exchange.
When asked for comment by Daily Mail Australia, PRD headquarters said they could not comment on the active investigation.
The spokesperson said that PRD ‘built on the expertise and collaboration of enterprising professionals, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or race.’
They continued: ‘The comments recently made online by an employee of the PRD Toowoomba office are serious and concerning.’
Before the apology, others within the 3,700-member community group called for Mr. Betheras’ resignation.
‘This idiot is definitely going to lose his job. PRD is a big chain and I think its a** grass once the big bosses get wind of this. So unprofessional,” one person said.
“No one has experienced this low life, look at these bulls***. He’s threatening to get people kicked out for asking questions (sic),” another posted on Facebook.
When contacted for comment by Daily Mail Australia, Mr Betheras said he had no further comment other than his apology.
Toowoomba PRD co-director Kim Taylor confirmed the agency was investigating the exchange