Read the infuriating suggestion a real estate agent sent a landlord – and the very satisfying response they received

By MATT JONES FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 02:56 BST, 14 April 2025 | Updated: 03:54 BST, 14 April 2025

A real estate agent has been slammed a landlord client for suggesting they impose a big hike in the rental price for their property. 

A screenshot of the email was shared to Reddit and showed the real estate agent suggesting the landlord hike the rent for their property north of Brisbane by 30-40 per cent. 

‘Hoping to have a chat in the coming days about the possibility of increasing the rent on your property when the lease comes around again soon, once the current tenants have given notice to depart due to change in work location,’ it read.

‘Prefer to do this on the phone, however we propose increasing and listing rent from current $550 pw to $720-$780 pw in line with other rentals in Bracken Ridge and surrounds with comparable amenities to your property.’

The landlord hit back at the suggestion, explaining the real estate agent ‘should know better’.

‘Not happy with the idea at all,’ they wrote back.

‘There is a crisis and you and your mob should know better than anyone. There is no need to raise the rent by $200 or more when people are struggling enough as it is.

‘We are not in it for the money unlike the office you sit in to line your bosses’ pockets at the expense of struggling families.’

The email from the real estate agent suggested a major rent increase 

The landords weren’t happy with the rent suggestion desptie the fact they’d make more money

The landlord made it clear that they would not not take the real estate agent’s advice and wanted to keep it at $550.

‘The rent will not be increasing, happy where it is and if the price is “too cheap”, well maybe it will give a struggling family a much deserved break,’ they said.

Social media users seethed at the real estate agent. 

‘Saw this on a Facebook page I follow,’ one wrote.

‘Just goes to show its not solely landlords to blame for increases. Real estate agencies need to be burnt to the ground.’

‘Can confirm that property managers will tell landlords that their property is worth more and to increase the rent,’ another said.

‘I worked in two different offices and saw this quite a bit.’

‘Was a landlord and the property manager was basically advocating for a rent rise almost every quarter,’ a third said.

Porperty Central’s Ashley McAdam said they didn’t pressure landlords to increase rent but simply gave advice based on the market

‘We put it up once in several years (we had a good tenant).’

‘As a landlord, the peace of mind in having a good tenant was way more important than a few bucks, not to mention I slept easier at night. The capital gain on the property was the main value for us anyway.’

Ashley McAdam, a real estate agent at Property Central, weighed in on the matter.

She told Daily Mail Australia her agency did not pressure landlords into increasing rents, but simply made them aware of what they could receive in rental income.

‘It all goes with the market. We can’t make suggestions on increasing the rent to anything that’s anything above the current market,’ Ms McAdam said.

‘We don’t try to pressure landlords. Ultimately, it’s their decision, but we do make suggestions and sometimes landlords don’t want to increase.

‘We tell them that it’s helping them at the moment but it may be the opposite. 

‘If you don’t do, say, a $20 increase this year, then in a couple of years’ time you might have to increase it by $60 or $70 and then it may be more difficult for that tenant to adjust to that.’

Weekly rents in Brisbane rose five per cent in 2024 while regional Queensland prices spiked 8.6 per cent, making it the most expensive regional area in the country to rent.

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Read the infuriating suggestion a real estate agent sent a landlord – and the very satisfying response they received

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