A real estate agent has been defended after sending a shocking late-night text message in which he branded a client a ‘pig’.
Gold Coast couple Giorgina and Tom Stewart claimed they received the offensive message from Coastal Property agent Christine Tucker.
The couple had engaged the real estate agency to sell their property and had reached a settlement when they received a notice on September 13 at 11:45 p.m.
‘Pig. Shame. Absolutely disgusting how you left that house,” the text read.
‘The oven hadn’t even been cleaned. Brian told me what kind of person you are. Your husband should be ashamed of himself. He’s class.
‘I’m going to tell the neighbors. Pig. Since you’re a woman, you thought you’d like to know. My mother taught me neatness, but I’m not sure about yours.’
Ms Stewart said she was ‘stunned’ by the text as the buyers of their property had accepted the preliminary inspection of the house the day before.
“When you sell your house you don’t have to put down a deposit like you do when you rent, but we left the house clean and tidy,” she says.
Ms Stewart said Ms Tucker had been “pleasant” throughout the sales process which began in May
Ms Stewart said Ms Tucker had been “pleasant” throughout the sales process, which began in May.
“We signed a contract with her and we had to sell the house because we bought it elsewhere,” she said.
Ms Stewart said that when she had not received an apology from Ms Tucker, she complained to Coastal Property director Dane Atherton on September 16.
She said Mr Atherton responded in writing and ‘conveyed my disgust and apologised’ Gold Coast Bulletin reported.
Mr Atherton told Ms Stewart he had dealt with the matter internally.
“I am confident that our actions will ensure that Christine will learn from the experience and not behave in this way again,” he wrote.
‘Once again I ask you to accept my sincere apologies.’
Mr Atherton said he has repeatedly apologized to Ms Stewart.
Ms Stewart said she received a text message from estate agent Christine Tucker at 11.45pm on September 13, leaving her ‘in shock, offended and disappointed’.
“It was seen as unacceptable behavior and it was dealt with internally, with advice and warnings given to the officer,” he said.
Mr Atherton said he would not fire Ms Tucker.
“She’s a human being who did something wrong – and I don’t operate like that,” he said.
“I felt like my conversation (with the complainant) was well received.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Coastal Property for comment.