Realtor is fired for using ‘racist and fear-based rhetoric’ when he posted a photo of NYPD van in flames to lure people to buy property in Florida
- Corcoran Group severed ties with Florida realtor Joseph Swedroe over his email promoting properties in the Miami area
- Marketing material included photo of NYPD van ablaze, juxtaposed with image of sandy beach, and asked prospective buyers, ‘Looking for change?’
- Swedroe, 59, told a real estate news website there was ‘nothing offensive’ about his marketing ploy intended to draw attention
- Corcoran released a statement saying the firm ‘categorically rejects racist and fear-based rhetoric in any form’
A Corcoran Group realtor has been fired after sending off an email blast seeking to entice New Yorkers into buying properties in Florida, which included a photo of an NYPD van engulfed in flames during George Floyd protests.
The Real Deal, which covers New York real estate news, described Joseph Swedroe’s controversial marketing missive as featuring the image of the burning police van, juxtaposed with photos of sandy Florida beaches and boats.
The subject line of the email read, ‘Looking for change?’ The copy asked the recipients whether they want to live in ‘chaos of comfort.’
The Corcoran Group has fired real estate agent Joseph Swedroe, 59 (left and right),after accusing him of using ‘racist and fear-based rhetoric’ in a recent marketing email
Swedroe’s email blast reportedly included a photo of a NYPD van ablaze during the recent George Floyd protests, juxtaposed with images of a sandy beach and boats. Pictured: A protester stands next to a burning NYPD van near Union Square while protesting the recent killing of George Floyd on May 30
Swedroe, 59, who lives in Bal Harbour, Florida, has been a licensed real estate agent for 10 years.
In an interview with The Real Deal, Swedroe insisted that there was ‘nothing offensive’ in his email, which he characterized as nothing more than a ‘marketing piece to get attention.’
‘It’s no secret that New York has been the scene of riots and vandalism and that South Florida is a much quieter and calmer place,’ he told the news outlet.
The Corcoran Group, a top-tier real estate firm founded by Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran in 1973, took swift action and severed ties with Swedroe, declaring that it ‘categorically rejects racist and fear-based rhetoric in any form.’
A company spokesperson described Swedroe as an independent sales agent and stated in an email to DailyMail.com that he created the marketing email without the company’s ‘knowledge or approval.’
The statement continued: ‘we have zero tolerance for this behavior, and the individual has been swiftly disassociated from our firm.
‘Corcoran has been proud to call New York City home for 47 years, and we love this city and its people.’
Swedroe, 59, told a real estate news website that there was ‘nothing offensive’ about his marketing ploy. He argued that his goal was to draw the attention of would-be buyers
According to reporting by The Real Deal, Corcoran president and CEO Pam Liebman called Swedroe’s marketing plot ‘highly offensive and inappropriate’ in an email to agents.
DailyMail.com on Wednesday reached out to Swedroe for comment and was awaiting a response.
His personal website describes Swedroe as a realtor and architect with 30 years od experience in residential design.
According to his LinkedIn page, Swedroe earned a Bachelor’s degree from the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University in 1984 and for the past 37 years has been a partner at his father’s firm, Swedroe Architecture.
The networking account indicates that Swedroe had only joined the Corcoran Group as a sales associate a year ago.