Estate agent is slammed over ‘tone deaf’ leaflets asking if Covid has been a ‘blessing in disguise’ for the property market

• Leaflets were sent out on behalf of JP & Brimelow to residents in Chorlton 
• They say the property market has ‘actually fared very well this year’  
• Also say average house price has increased over the last year  

A Manchester estate agent has been slammed after handing out ‘tone deaf’ leaflets asking whether the coronavirus pandemic has been a ‘blessing in disguise’ for the property market.   

The leaflets, sent out on behalf of JP & Brimelow, are believed to have been posted to residents in Chorlton and Old Trafford this morning.

They read: ‘Has Covid been a blessing in disguise for Chorlton and Old Trafford?’.

The leaflets say the property market has ‘actually fared very well this year’, despite the global coronavirus pandemic.

The leaflets, sent out on behalf of JP & Brimelow, are believed to have been posted to residents in Chorlton and Old Trafford this morning

They go onto say the pandemic has brought ‘so much uncertainty, so much worry  jobs and of course concern over health’, but mention that the average house price of a detached home in some areas of Greater Manchester have increased in the last year.

The leaflets adds that, despite the unstable year, it is ‘all the more remarkable how the property market has performed’.

Many of those who received the leaflet have shared it on social media.

Residents in Chorlton and Old Trafford have been receiving the advert promoting how the pandemic has ‘benefitted’ house prices

One resident from Old Trafford, who asked not to be named, said the leaflets were ‘completely insensitive’.

‘I thought it was one of the most insensitive things I’ve seen in a long time,’ they said.

The leaflets say the property market has ‘actually fared very well this year’, despite the global coronavirus pandemic

‘I can’t imagine what it would be like for someone who has lost someone or is struggling to then be told it’s a blessing because of the financial gain to be had.’

The resident said the leaflet ‘touched a nerve’ – as they are recovering from Covid.

‘I don’t know if it’s because I’ve just had Covid and I know how bad it is, but it has properly annoyed me,’ they added.

‘I just think it’s crass – it’s gone straight in the bin.

‘There’s nothing wrong with saying that house pricing has increased, but any attempt to spin Covid positively – besides how it’s brought the community together – is appalling.

‘People have lost their jobs, people are really struggling financially and are struggling to buy houses.

‘It’s just really tone deaf.’

In a statement, the estate agent apologised.

‘We would like to say a heartfelt sorry to everyone in our community who encountered our latest flyer,’ a spokesperson for JP & Brimelow Chorlton & Didsbury said.

‘We got it wrong and for that, we apologise unreservedly.

‘We have all lost loved ones due to the pandemic and we acknowledge that the flyer was not representative of the times we are living in.’

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