An Australian CEO has revealed he was turned down from the perfect rental because the real estate agent claimed he was single and too young.
Kyle Hunt, 25, who juggles executive work for three companies, was keen to find a home close to work and spotted a promising property in Melbourne last month.
He arranged a private tour of the property and was elated upon inspecting it.
“I had been looking for an apartment for three months and finally found one in the perfect, beautiful location,” she said in a TikTok.
“And I spoke to the realtor on the phone, super nice, and booked the inspection.”
But the officer seemed a little apprehensive when he met with Mr Hunt.
“When I arrived, his demeanor completely changed.”
“He was very distant and I was like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s just having a bad day.’
An Australian CEO was left shocked by a strange encounter with a real estate agent.
He claimed exclusive estate agents were blacklisting clients in the competitive national rental market (file image)
He said the house had everything he was looking for, despite the abrasive agent.
Mr Hunt said he continued the inspection in silence. The agent did not show any of the individual rooms and asked the 25-year-old a strange question towards the end of the inspection.
The officer then asked if Mr. Hunt had a partner.
“I said ‘no’ and he said ‘oh,'” Mr Hunt said. news.com.au.
The property was also listed as a fully furnished house, but when Mr Hunt asked what furniture would remain in the property, he was told it was “not part of their job”.
Anyway, Mr Hunt asked for the application forms to be sent to him.
The agent agreed, but after two days, Hunt still had not received any email from the agent.
He contacted the agency, who passed it back to the agent.
He asked to receive the application forms and the agent told him he would not do so.
‘I asked him very politely… And his immediate response was “I’m not going to do that,” and I thought, eh, why?’
“He says, ‘I’m going to be honest with you, Kyle, I shouldn’t have shown you the property because of your age, but you came to the property alone, you’re single.’
The agent reportedly said Hunt was not what the agency was looking for despite his high-paying jobs and mature age.
“He said, ‘We wanted desirable candidates to see the place,’ and I said, ‘What the heck?'” the CEO said.
“I called the office again, another real estate agent, (but) when I was on the phone with the real estate agent they said, ‘I’m sorry you’ve been blacklisted, so we can’t offer you any of our services. “properties, so I will have to refer you to another real estate agent.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with real estate agents,” he said.
The Tenants Union is clear that it is illegal for landlords and real estate agents to discriminate against prospective tenants.
The union says it is illegal for agencies to deny opportunities to tenants based on race, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, disability or age.
The CEO estimated it took him three more months to find a property after the ordeal.
Another agent found him a suitable apartment.
He joked that the whole experience was “cooked up” and said he didn’t want to have to move again.
Viewers of his TikTok story quickly warmed to the 25-year-old.
One viewer warned that the experience could have been worse.
‘Imagine if you had a dog! It gets even worse,’ they joked.
Mr Hunt responded by saying: “I felt like I was the dog.”
“That’s not allowed,” another simply said.
“How many times has this happened to me,” one viewer agreed.
But some viewers said the ordeal could have been a blessing for the 25-year-old.
“Rejection is a redirection,” they said.