Bragging real estate agency called out after tooting its horn in email

A real estate agency that distributed an email tooting its horn about expensive rent has been called out.

A real estate agency which bragged about squeezing more money out of tenants has been blasted online.

Caporn Young distributed an email revealing how it leased a villa in Perth’s Tuart Hill for $70 more than the advertised $480 - which was also 25 per cent more than what its vacating tenant paid.

After filtering through dozens of applications, including families, the agency selected “a lovely professional couple” who agreed to pay $550.

In one part of the email, the agency highlighted that “with a vacancy rate of just .71 per cent, competition for rentals in Perth is fierce”.

“The home was originally advertised at $480 per week, which was a 25 per cent increase on what the vacating tenant was paying,” it also said, before mentioning some tenants had offered “to pay up to $580 per week to secure the home”.

Renters advocate Jordan van den Berg, who runs the popular X page, Purple Pingers, called the agency out in a post on Monday.

This email has been extremely poorly received by some WA renters. Picture: X

“Anyone else sick of real estate agents celebrating the rental crisis and also acting like it’s their specific agency that’s somehow single-handedly got rents to skyrocket?” he wrote.

Caporn Young was seemingly not the only agency sending out such emails, with a respondent revealing theirs “regularly sends me emails for absolutely no other reason but to toot their own horn”.

“They’re f**king vultures,” another person responded, with others labelling the email “gross” and “disgusting”.

The agent claimed it had been receiving at least 150 inquiries for properties in Bentley, Tuart Hill and Lathlain, and almost the same for homes in Queens Park and Balga.

“Prospective tenants are arriving at home opens with their forms filled in and deposits at the ready, prepared to offer more than the advertised rent to get the keys to their dream property,” the email read.

It boasted that within 24 hours of listing the Tuart Hill rental, it received more than 100 inquiries then showed the property to 70 groups.

“With so many prospective tenants to choose from, we turned our focus to selecting the best of the bunch, sifting through the most glowing references and detailed applicants to find the perfect match,” the agency wrote.

Jordan van den Berg called out Caporn Young on social media. Picture: X

Mr van den Berg last month launched the website Sh*t Rentals which allows tenants and prospective tenants the ability to anonymously review rental properties and agencies.

He told news.com.au renters deserved more transparency from the unethical rental industry.

“When you’re applying as a tenant, agents have access to so much information on you but you know nothing about the situation you’re going into,” Mr Van den Berg said.

“You don’t know what the landlord’s like or what the property’s going to be like, so the site is trying to give renters a bit more transparency and power in terms of making an informed decision.”

It had “really upset” Mr Van den Berg – who has been admitted as a lawyer – hearing stories of the incredible mistreatment endured by vulnerable Australians, particularly in the current rental crisis.

“They [agents] dictate your access to what is essentially a human right, and to see that be almost unregulated, is astounding,” the 27-year-old said.

He said his privilege — as someone who grew up in Sydney and went to a private school — had given him a sense of responsibility to help people less fortunate.

news.com.au contacted Caporn Young for comment.

[e-mail]

Originally published as Bragging real estate agency called out after tooting its horn in email