A real estate agent came under fire after asking people how they would “market” a tent in a park with laughing emojis in a Facebook post.
Tanya Ruggeri, from Mackay in northern Queensland, posted a series of photos of the tent set up in a local park on June 1 on her account.
Tell me how you would market this!! Caption this below,” she wrote, adding three laughing emojis that were later deleted due to backlash.
While a handful of people played along in the comments, others weren’t too impressed with one man saying the photo was “not funny at all.”
“Those who work in real estate should know how difficult it is for families,” he wrote.
Tanya Ruggeri (pictured) has been a real estate agent in Mackay, Queensland, for 23 years.
Ms Ruggeri posted a series of photos of a tent on her Facebook page and asked people how they would “market” it, adding several laughing emojis (pictured is the since-deleted post).
Tents have become a common sight in parks across Australia as the housing crisis and rising rents force families out of their homes and onto the streets.
Mrs. Ruggeri insisted before the Cairns Mail that no one had been living in the tent.
The real estate agent also responded to the criticism on Facebook: ‘You are an insulting bully. fu’
Ms Ruggeri then liked a comment that accused the person living in the tent of not trying hard enough to find a home.
‘Sorry, but there are many solutions and different types of accommodation. In the end he gets a haircut and a real job,” the comment said.
Responding to a number of concerned comments, Ms Ruggeri said everyone had 24 hours in a day.
‘I work hard for my money. And I have never run away from the government nor lived free of any government or municipal land,” she wrote.
“I choose to pay an incredible amount of taxes to help these people.”
The officer said she was drawing attention to the homeless crisis.
‘This homeless person needs shelter, food and care! The community is aware, plus others realize it and help me help the homeless too,” she wrote.
Ruggeri (pictured) said he had been drawing attention to the homelessness crisis when he posted a photo of a tent and asked people how they would “market” it.
Ms Ruggeri urged people to “read between the lines” before “bullying” her and said “there is more to this picture than meets the eye”.
He added that he builds housing for the homeless every year and pays “unbelievable” amounts in fees and insurance.
The store’s original post has been deleted, however screenshots remain on the Mackay Notice Board Facebook page.
Ruggeri has been a real estate agent for 23 years, according to his website.
“Tanya Ruggeri is an expert in selling residential and commercial properties at the best prices and with fast delivery,” the website states.
“Tanya’s unrivaled knowledge of the Mackay property market makes selling your home a faster and more efficient process.”
The agent has sold 10 properties in the last 12 months with a median home price of $510,000, according to realestate.com.au.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Ruggeri for comment.
