If you think agents are not highly thought of in the UK - sharing the moral low-ground with bankers and journalists - things are even worse, it seems, in Germany,
A bid by the German Federation of Estate Agents, the BVFI, to stage a nationwide strike starting on Friday has failed because it does not have enough support.The ballot was called in protest at a new property law to start in 2015 that will cap rents and prevent the association's 11,000 members from earning commissions on rental property.
Of 3,707 members who voted, 30 per cent advocated strike action and six per cent voted against - but an overwhelming 64 per cent abstained, most of them believed to be sales agents who are not hampered by the new law.
Opponents of the industrial action set up a Twitter hashtag #maklerstreik (estate agent strike) encouraging people to urge all agents to go on permanent strike.
A rival agency umbrella body, the Real Estate Association (IVD), dismissed the strike suggestion as "nonsense this harms the reputable brokers.....stupid.
Another tweeted: I'm sure politicians are trembling in their boots over the economy collapsing because of an estate agent strike.
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Comments
Wow, perfect. Fortunately, I found your website!
Quite reassuring that it's not only estate agents in the UK who get a bad name. The unfavourable reputation would appear to be in place all over Europe.
Today's laws in Germany will become tomorrows laws in the EU. We will have to abide by them if we are still in the EU.
Chuckle if you like but if certain politicians had their way it could happen here very easily.
No considertion would be given to a private lettings collapse. They are like that!