A judge on Channel Nine’s hit series The Block has responded to outrage from Australians struggling to keep a roof over their heads over their “out of touch” billboards.
Whitefox founder Marty Fox has defended provocative adverts seen in Perth boasting his company has been “making houses more expensive since 2017”.
TikTok account emreadman posted an image of the billboards with the caption “maybe not the message to gloat about in the middle of a housing crisis, girls.”
Rent advocate Jordan van den Lamb, known online as Purplepingers, weighed in on the controversy after being tagged online.
“If this is a genuine Whitefox ad, it is certainly a bold choice,” he wrote.
Others were equally outraged by the marketing.
‘My goodness, I walked past this Friday night and was outraged! That’s not how to appeal to the market!’ one responded.
Another added: “No this is so out of line, disgusting!”
Billboards seen around Perth advertising estate agency Whitefox have been condemned for being ‘out of touch’
Marty Fox (pictured with his wife Charlotte) has responded to the reaction of Australians
Fox told Daily Mail Australia on Monday night that the ads simply stated what his agency’s “duty” was.
“We are dedicated to selling properties for our clients,” he explained.
‘Our job is to get them as much money as possible and we do this through great marketing and competitive negotiation. Alternatively through a public auction.
‘Hence our motto ‘making homes more expensive since 2017’.
‘That is our duty: to help our clients, who are also fighting inflation and the cost of living, to get the most possible for their homes.
‘In almost 20 years in real estate, I have never heard a homeowner tell our staff, ‘sell my house for cheap.’
Fox argued that the “real issue here is the cost of living,” which is “what’s out of touch and making it difficult” for everyone, including homeowners.
He argued that houses were often sold as a necessity for financial reasons.
‘What about families who need to sell due to an unforeseen marriage breakdown or horrible medical diagnoses?’ said Mr. Fox.
“These customers of ours need every dollar possible and this happens on a regular basis.”
Marty Fox defended his company’s ads by saying that they simply said what his customers wanted.
Fox (pictured right) has been a judge on Nine Network’s The Block for two seasons.
The ads also attracted some praise on social media.
“Well your marketing worked, it got people talking and now more people know about white fox real estate than didn’t before,” one TikTok viewer commented.
Another added: “The only people who are upset about this are not the target audience because they can’t afford a house, including me.”
Other viewers defended the signs and jumped to Fox’s defense.
“I like it because I’m not lazy and I have a good job,” one wrote.
Another added: ‘If you’re a homeowner, you probably want your house to look expensive, right?’
A third commented: “Well your marketing worked, it’s got people talking and more people now know about Whitefox real estate than didn’t before.”
In November, Daily Mail Australia reported that Fox offloaded his country getaway on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula for a whopping $2.05 million.
The high-flying real estate agent and his wife Charlotte, co-founder of Whitefox, purchased the original 1950s cottage for $1.55 million in 2021.
The Melbourne-based couple then undertook an extensive renovation, converting the home into a four-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday pad.
Fox first appeared on the 2023 season of The Block as a semi-regular judge before returning for last year’s drama-filled season.