Estate agent Jules Bending has finally been accepted on to a property portal after being banned from others, including Rightmove.
Bending, who runs The Real Ralph Bending Estate Agent in Glastonbury, Somerset, has also been barred from his local newspapers after one of his adverts included a particularly suggestive reference to Glastonbury Tor.
Bending, who wears jeans to work, has also described one property as “cheap but not particularly cheerful”, another as “filthy” while a third was listed as a “three-bedroom former school house with everything except the randy old teacher and fag butts down the loo”.
Bending says people enjoy his adverts (“Characterful as a vegetarian’s fart, this Victorian beauty hums to the rhythm of a well soaked mung bean” is another example) and has accused Rightmove of a sense of humour bypass.
However, he has now been accepted on to the pay per lead website PropertyIndex whose chief executive Lee Bramzell said: “Rightmove are taking these descriptions a bit too seriously. We are happy to welcome Real Ralph Bending to PropertyIndex.”
Bending said: “The Evil Empire of RightMove could learn from our candid approach to advertising property.
“Everybody hates an estate agent: the horrible suit, the nasty jargon. If you introduce a note of humour, people seem to like that. They trust us. And trust is the holy grail.”
Already on PropertyIndex are some classic Bending descriptions in the fine traditions of: “Sturdy two-bedroom second-floor apartment with hall, sitting room, bathroom, kitchen and parking. Suit a former inmate.”
Rightmove confirmed that it, along with other main portals, had banned Bending from its site.
Agent banned over adverts finds acceptance
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Comments
All very well, but he had next to nothing on his books when I last checked his website last Autumn. Just checked again . . and . . ah, just the two for sale. His approach clearly doesn't work. Vendors are ignoring him. Perhaps if his humour was less vulgar and he had something positive to offer the industry rather than just knocking it, he'd gain more business.
Don't forget also Ian Bebbington (Hi, Bebbo, if you're reading this...) who made national headlines with his own inimitable style of property descriptions in the 80's. Even had a book published.
Superb Adverts! taking a leaf out of ROY BROOKS books. we could all learn from that!
This guy is absolutely hilarious. I read an interview with him in one of the trade titles recently in which he said something like 'no pussies allowed' to describe a property. From the sounds of it, I don't think he needs the portals anyway
It gets the property noticed .. isn't that what your supposed to be doing! Brilliant, but I wonder how many purchasers are put off?
Brilliant!
Will really improve the nations impression of the property industry. (NOT).
There is nothing to compare with an honest Estate Agent. Hats off to Jules and also Lee Bramzell of Property Index. A very good marketing ploy indeed! The best chuckle I have had all day - especially the reference to Randy educators and fag ends down the loo!
This reminds me of a certain Roy Brooks who some of the older readers on here may remember? Running his eponymous estate agency business in Chelsea, he became famous in the 60s for his witty property adverts in the Sunday Times and Observer. He would exaggerate the faults in a property he was selling, often with positive effect. For example, an obviously dark and damp basement flat was described as 'suitable only for troglodytes and mushroom growers', and another flat with an extremely small living room described as having 'no room to swing a cat'! Roy Brook's business prospered, perhaps proving that honesty is the best policy?
this guy should be president of the NAEA
it was Roy Brooks in the 60's who started this type of marketing - see his book Brothel in Pimlico (available at Amazon)- if the clients are happy and it isn't seeking to deceive (and mostly it is self depracating) - I say thumbs up for being different!
An agent for the alternative market, which in Glastonbury is a sizable proportion of the population. He once told a developer friend to F*** off out of his office when he asked for comparables! i wish i was braver.
Good for you Jules...a little light hearted relief in a tough depressing market place. I remember a company called Ferme Sales in London N8 who used to do exactly the same..they went out of business however their adverts in the local paper were the most eagerly awaited item ever!
I kind of like it! Most estate agents descriptions are either bland and non descriptive or over the top and pretentious so if sellers are instructing this agent and like his way of marketing and the descriptions of their homes, who are these portals to say its not "right". Its not a super professional approach but its his business he can approach it how he wants!
I personally wouldn't dare risk my reputation with that kind of advertising but if it hasn't done him any damage and he's still selling houses, good on him. I think it's really funny. Maybe he has lost his way, becoming an estate agent.
Haha! Brilliant!