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Original poster

Estate Agent on tinder during viewing

66 replies

Blomama · 28/06/2025 20:44

Our house is on the market. Not overly impressed with the estate agent company so far, poor communication, promising the earth etc.
Today the estate agent let the viewers in, he opened the sliding doors and let them into the garden while they went outside alone. He didn't unlock any outdoor spaces, just left them to look through the windows of the garden room and garage. When they came back in he let them roam on the 1st and 2nd floor alone for quite a while. While they were outside and upstairs he was sat in our kitchen swiping left and right on scantily clad girls on Tinder. We have ring cameras around the house and he was positioned in such a way that you can see his phone screen clearly. He didn't give them a single piece of information about our house or the area during the entire viewing.
Here's the question: Do I tell the agency that he allowed an unaccompanied viewing and what he was doing during the viewing?

OP posts:
Lazyjunedays · 28/06/2025 22:15

I think both sides have behaved poorly. I'd feel creeped out about being secretly filmed. I once had a male landlord that did this in the name of 'security'.

I personally prefer to look around a property without the owner or EA right beside me. With owners there, I'd never look properly and felt I was tiptoeing around them.

I'd lock away valuables and let them crack on with it.

I once viewed a flat where the owner had printed out a list of key things about the property and the local area for potential buyers. Might be worth doing if you're worried that info isn't being passed on.

NoelFaraday · 28/06/2025 22:15

I would absolutely report this oaf!

That is absolutely disgusting behaviour as well as being violent unprofessional.

You must tell them that you do not want him setting foot in hour house again and want someone professional to show people around.

He should be sacked.

NeilDiamondsBlowDry · 28/06/2025 22:20

@NoelFaraday ‘oaf’ how utterly fantastic ❤️

An89 · 28/06/2025 22:21

Blomama · 28/06/2025 20:44

Our house is on the market. Not overly impressed with the estate agent company so far, poor communication, promising the earth etc.
Today the estate agent let the viewers in, he opened the sliding doors and let them into the garden while they went outside alone. He didn't unlock any outdoor spaces, just left them to look through the windows of the garden room and garage. When they came back in he let them roam on the 1st and 2nd floor alone for quite a while. While they were outside and upstairs he was sat in our kitchen swiping left and right on scantily clad girls on Tinder. We have ring cameras around the house and he was positioned in such a way that you can see his phone screen clearly. He didn't give them a single piece of information about our house or the area during the entire viewing.
Here's the question: Do I tell the agency that he allowed an unaccompanied viewing and what he was doing during the viewing?

Yes 100% tell the agency!

silentlyleavetheirlife · 28/06/2025 22:32

Can’t you ask to speak with the employee himself? Rather than have him fired or get in trouble?

pizzaHeart · 28/06/2025 22:33

EnjoythemoneyJane · 28/06/2025 21:38

This kind of slack, lazy bullshit from agents really grinds my fucking gears. They talk the talk about ‘market blah blah blah’ and ‘sales blah blah blah’ and ‘economy blah blah blah’ but in reality 99% of them stick it on Rightmove, don’t bother to do any homework about the property, and leave prospective buyers to show themselves round, safe in the knowledge they’ll be banking thousands for doing fuck all if the sale goes through, and it’s no skin off their nose if it doesn’t.

They’re your agents, OP. They are literally being paid to act on your behalf. They are benefitting financially from the sale of your biggest asset, and should be doing some bloody work to justify the substantial amount they’ll earn from nothing more than sticking some photos on a national website.

They should be selling your house. And whilst it’s perfectly fine for buyers to wander round for a bit on their own after an accompanied viewing (at which point it’s kind of irrelevant what he’s doing on his phone), it’s not ok for your representative to not even bother showing areas of the property. You’re in control of the relationship. In your shoes I’d be giving them an absolute fucking rocket, and if they can’t do any better, you should look for another agent.

The fact you know he’s been slack via a security camera is neither here nor there IMO - you’ve not been spying on him in his own home, you’ve been monitoring visitors to your own home and by coincidence caught him on the hop. Tough shit. Do your job better.

This^
it wasn’t letting buyers to get a feel of the house. It was doing absolutely nothing instead of doing his job. He didn’t have a day appointment so he should have used the every minute of it. And it does matter that he was on Tinder, he could use this time for reading info which OP provided.
I would think carefully how to approach it and would reread the contract with them before doing something.

silentlyleavetheirlife · 28/06/2025 22:34

Lazyjunedays · 28/06/2025 22:15

I think both sides have behaved poorly. I'd feel creeped out about being secretly filmed. I once had a male landlord that did this in the name of 'security'.

I personally prefer to look around a property without the owner or EA right beside me. With owners there, I'd never look properly and felt I was tiptoeing around them.

I'd lock away valuables and let them crack on with it.

I once viewed a flat where the owner had printed out a list of key things about the property and the local area for potential buyers. Might be worth doing if you're worried that info isn't being passed on.

One hundred percent agree x

BadSkiingMum · 28/06/2025 22:36

DiscoBob · 28/06/2025 20:55

If the clients were at the part of the viewing where they walk around alone, it's not the end of the world the EA was scrolling his phone.

I mean what else should he have been doing? It's not great that you were looking back and observing what was on his phone. Surely he's allowed to use his phone briefly if he client isn't in the room?

If he was booking an appointment for a cancer screening would that be ok? Or talking to his mum about her care arrangements?

I just think if it's not affecting his work then actual things he looks at on his phone are personal. I mean it wasn't porn?

If he's inefficient generally then fair enough of course to change.

No offence but could the bar be set any lower?

He is quite literally at work and in someone else’s home. His right to privacy is trumped by the need for probity and good conduct. He should be in either proactive mode (selling the property) or responsive mode (allowing the viewers space but being ready to answer any questions).

A personal device shouldn’t even come out of his pocket or bag. If his work device rings then he should decide whether or not to take the call. This is exactly why people shouldn’t use personal phones for work!

It’s also more than a bit creepy for him to use Tinder during a viewing. In the past I have viewed quite a few properties alone with male agents and the idea of them looking at suggestive content during a viewing would be unnerving.

Not good at all and his mind certainly wasn’t on selling your property!

Papricat · 28/06/2025 22:39

...Any good match?

Lazyjunedays · 28/06/2025 22:40

Papricat · 28/06/2025 22:39

...Any good match?

😂

DiscoBob · 28/06/2025 23:36

Blomama · 28/06/2025 21:31

It's a big agency, we can often have 4/5 viewings on a Saturday and each agent is different/new to the house. We have given the agency lots of detailed information about the house but the agents can't seem to answer basic questions about if there's a dishwasher or not 🤣

It sounds like they're just crap across the board. So it's not really about one agent looking at tinder for two minutes. Once you don't trust them it's just not going to work. And of course it's very important so definitely switch.

SpidersAreShitheads · 29/06/2025 04:34

The EA for the house that we bought was doing laps around the garden while we wandered round inside 😂

I can’t imagine giving a shit whether an EA is on Tinder or that he didn’t show them around. The best EA I’ve ever found (not the one I mentioned above emulating Captain Tom - a different one!) had a really relaxed way of showing houses. He knew his stuff and would have a chat with viewers at the start and at the finish, but he gave them space to look round by themselves. He sold my DM’s house in two weeks when three previous EAs hadn’t been able to in 7 months during that red-hot market. He then sold ours on the 2nd appointment.

I think not having an EA breathing down your neck can give you space to figure out if the house will work.

If he hadn’t unlocked all the buildings that you wanted him to show, or he couldn’t answer questions then you’ve got valid cause for complaint. I’d focus on that without getting sidetracked by trivialities.

OneGiddyRubyViewer · 29/06/2025 04:45

How do you know they were scantily clad?? Tinder didn’t allow nudes/ underwear pics on profiles.

TiddlesTheTractor · 29/06/2025 05:18

Blomama · 28/06/2025 21:31

It's a big agency, we can often have 4/5 viewings on a Saturday and each agent is different/new to the house. We have given the agency lots of detailed information about the house but the agents can't seem to answer basic questions about if there's a dishwasher or not 🤣

There are two points here, one of which infuriates me far more than the other.

  1. You are spying on people. I don’t know what the protocol is with cameras and viewings, evem if it is in your own home surely they should be made aware of where the cameras are… especially as you are both watching AND listening in to their conversations. You’ve obviously done this before (hence the dishwasher comment). I’d hate this as a buyer, and quite honestly I’d make a complaint that either the agent hadn’t informed the buyer or the seller hadn’t adequately informed the agent. If I were offering it would certainly compromise my opinion of you and I’d lower any offer accordingly.
  2. The agent was not focused on his job. I don’t see an issue with letting people look around together but the agent needs to be paying enough attention to what they are doing from a distance. Some ppl want space. I’d agree this is unprofessional but tbh I think it’s less of an issue than you spying on potential buyers.
LindorDoubleChoc · 29/06/2025 06:09

Maybe have a conversation with the branch manager and inform them that you are recording and listening in to the viewings. At the very least, all viewers should be made aware of this!!

isitme111 · 29/06/2025 06:41

I think it's out of order you were filming and recording the EA and potential buyers without their knowledge - creepy and weird. Not sure what the EA's view would be on this but as you obviously think it's acceptable yes I think you should feedback so the EA manager is aware of the setup. You'd probably be better off offering block viewings and doing them yourself without any recordings.

Original poster
Blomama · 29/06/2025 08:32

I'm not 'secretly filing people'. It's not a hidden camera in a teddy bear in a public space - it's my home and there are no laws against this. It's a very visible security camera that many people have installed in their home. When we are out of the house it buzzes my phone to say movement detected. Estate agency is aware of cameras. I'm not posting the images on social media or sharing with a third party. I'm guessing all the people who are so alarmed don't have cameras. It very handy for checking on pets and I highly recommend.

OP posts:
Original poster
Blomama · 29/06/2025 08:39

OneGiddyRubyViewer · 29/06/2025 04:45

How do you know they were scantily clad?? Tinder didn’t allow nudes/ underwear pics on profiles.

Hmm, I just assumed it was a dating app but I can't be 100% sure - I've never used a dating app! I can see the screen of his phone and while I can't make out any words, the images as he flicks are all women in underwear/bikinis. They all have long brown hair and are in 'sexy' poses.

OP posts:
BlackSheepThisYear · 29/06/2025 08:41

We viewed a house years ago and the estate agent left us to it while he had a poo in the downstairs toilet. He then said he had another viewing to get to so left us there alone. He told us to shut the front door when we’d done looking around 😆

OneGiddyRubyViewer · 29/06/2025 08:42

Blomama · 29/06/2025 08:39

Hmm, I just assumed it was a dating app but I can't be 100% sure - I've never used a dating app! I can see the screen of his phone and while I can't make out any words, the images as he flicks are all women in underwear/bikinis. They all have long brown hair and are in 'sexy' poses.

Show quote history

Yeah deffo not tinder lol. Probably some sort of camgirl or hookup app.

Original poster
Blomama · 29/06/2025 08:46

@TiddlesTheTractor thanks for your feedback. I also don't know the protocol regarding using security camera footage for not security related matters - hence my question. I think it's a very grey area and one we probably need clear guidance on as monitoring cameras become more and more commonplace.

OP posts:
Drowninginconfusion · 29/06/2025 08:52

The fact that you’re saying ‘scantily clad women on Tinder’ makes me think you’re exaggerating. Almost all women on there just have regular photos of themselves as their profile photos.

It’s not okay that he was acting the way he was IF he was. I certainly wouldn’t be saying ‘we caught you on camera’ as you might find yourself without an estate agent at all!

I would just contact them and ask that they ensure that all the outbuildings are opened when there’s a viewing and that the estate agent remains with potential buyers at all times.

If after that, there’s no improvement then consider switching estate agents and explaining you weren’t happy with the service.

TranceNation · 29/06/2025 08:52

I would have binned them off with the poor communication. There are plenty of other estate agents out there.

TiddlesTheTractor · 29/06/2025 09:44

Blomama · 29/06/2025 08:46

@TiddlesTheTractor thanks for your feedback. I also don't know the protocol regarding using security camera footage for not security related matters - hence my question. I think it's a very grey area and one we probably need clear guidance on as monitoring cameras become more and more commonplace.

Regardless of whether you know the protocol the fact that you’re watching and listening in to it all is creepy.

I don’t think you need an estate agent to tell you that’s a breach of someone’s privacy, even if it’s a sense of privacy as opposed to an explicitly defined one.

The more I think about it the more I think about it the more unreasonable I think you are about even suggesting you complain about what someone’s been doing when you were spying on them…. When you clearly haven’t even considered the moral or ethical implications of doing so (or you wouldn’t have posted it here).

TiddlesTheTractor · 29/06/2025 09:50

@Blomama i feel like you’re backtracking here as you came on thinking everyone would back you in your outrage at having an estate agent using his phone on a viewing (what would you have done if he was looking at reels from garden centres)… and then realised that actually having used the footage yourself in the way you have is by far more unreasonable.

Let’s not pretend here - you’re listening in on what buyers were saying in order to find out more about what their position might be on the house, so you can negotiate accordingly when the time comes. If you’ve hear them having conversations about dishwashers then this wasn’t exactly a one off was it?

We have cameras in our house and I would fully make the EA aware and ask them to make sure viewers were aware too. Not least because it would mean the viewers were on better behaviour and less likely to damage anything (which you claim to be your concern) if they thought they were on camera!

Rocky ground. Very rocky ground if you ask me.