Dozens of furious Australians have vented their fury after noticing a “tone-deaf” phrase on a Melbourne agency’s “for sale” sign.
Local resident Rose was stopped in her tracks by a sign outside a home in Brunswick West, Victoria, which read: “Why pay rent when you can buy your new home, move in and make it yours?”
The question left a bitter taste given the current real estate crisis and the rising cost of living plaguing the country.
‘Hello everyone, have you considered not being a tenant?’ Rose captioned the image on social media, before others joined her in criticizing the “ignorant” tone.
‘Wait, is it that simple?’ one wrote. ‘Oh my god, I’ve NEVER thought of this.’
Dozens of furious Australians have vented their fury after noticing a “tone-deaf” phrase on a Melbourne agency’s “for sale” sign.
“Why pay rent? Just buy this and then make others pay rent for it,” added another.
‘Have you tried just not renting?’ Stop being stupid and poor and buy a house!’
Another described the sign as “absolutely ridiculous” and said he was surprised that the company “thinks (renting or buying) is an option.”
“No, I have not considered not paying rent because I need to live somewhere while I try to save up to buy a property, while mitigating the constant increase in rent,” they wrote.
‘Unfortunately, investors simply think they are total business opportunities and a way to exploit the have-nots, while trying to close the gap to become “rich” despite facing increasing greed. But thanks for asking!’
Darren Barr, director of Grantham Real Estate, was surprised by the reaction and had never had a complaint before.
He told FEMAIL that such an advertisement encouraging Australians to consider purchasing has been around for years and that the company “never intended to offend anyone”.
“The majority of our customers are young first-home buyers – there is a lot in the area,” he said.
‘I think people are realizing that, at the moment, it is better to buy and pay the bank than to rent.
“The advertisement on the sign was only intended to prompt people to think differently and consider purchasing, but I would put a sticker on it if it bothers people.”
Barr added that he has seen an influx of investment properties for sale over the past 12 to 18 months as homeowners and investors are “forced to sell.”
“The government is also making it difficult for investors to hold onto their properties, but people don’t care about that,” he said.
