Mermaid Waters couple share “insulting” messages from Coastal Agents Christine Tucker

A Gold Coast real estate giant has dished out a warning and counselling to an agent who called a female client a “pig”, leaving her “in shock, offended and disappointed”.

Mermaid Waters couple, Giorgina and Tom Stewart recently filed a formal complaint with Coastal Agents managing director Dane Atherton after receiving a message from their real estate agent, Christine Tucker.

A Gold Coast real estate giant has dished out a warning and counselling to an agent who called a female client a “pig”, leaving her “in shock, offended and disappointed”.

Mermaid Waters couple Giorgina and Tom Stewart formally complained to Coastal Property managing director Dane Atherton about what they called “threatening and upsetting” messages from agent Christine Tucker.

Ms Stewart said Ms Tucker texted her at 11.45pm on September 13 upon settlement for sale of their home: “Pig. Shame. Absolutely disgust how you left that home. The oven wasn’t even cleaned. Brian advised me what kind of person you are. Your husband should be ashamed. He’s class.

“I’ll be telling the neighbours. Pig. Being a female just thought you’d like to know that. My mum taught me cleanliness, not sure about yours”.

Ms Stewart said the text “dumbfounded” her as the buyers had accepted pre-settlement inspection a day earlier: “When selling your house you don’t have to do a bond clean like with a rental, but we left the house clean and tidy.”

Mermaid Waters couple, Giorgina and Tom Stewart recently filed a formal complaint with Coastal Agents managing director Dane Atherton after receiving a message from their real estate agent, Christine Tucker. Mr Atherton apologised for “unacceptable behaviour” and said the agent had been warned.

Ms Stewart said Ms Tucker had been “pleasant” during the whole process which started in May.

“We had signed a contract with her and we needed the house to be sold as we had purchased elsewhere,” she said.

But Ms Stewart claimed after no apology from Ms Tucker for the text remarks she complained to Mr Atherton on September 16.

Mr Atherton responded in writing and “conveyed my disgust and apologised”.

“I have subsequently dealt with the matter internally. I am confident our measures will ensure Christine will learn from the experience and will not behave in this manner again. Once again I ask you to accept my sincerest apologies,” Mr Atherton wrote to her.

Mr Atherton told the Bulletin he had apologised repeatedly to Ms Stewart for what he viewed as “unacceptable behaviour”.

“It was viewed as unacceptable behaviour and it was dealt with internally where we had counselling and warnings to the agent.

“We were subsequently contacted by the Office of Fair Trading and they were satisfied with how we dealt with it internally.”

Mr Atherton said he felt the complainant had wanted him to “sack” his agent: “But she is a human being who did something wrong – and that is not how I work. I had felt my conversation (with the complainant) was well received.”

Mr Atherton said in 20 years of real estate the text was in no way representative of behaviour from his team.

Christine Tucker from Coastal Agents

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