Property agent's fridge magnet in lift leaves resident fuming: 'Surely this is crossing a line now?'
A fridge magnet advertising a property agent was found stuck on the wall of a lift, prompting an annoyed resident to ask on Reddit: "Does this qualify as vandalism or at least public nuisance?"
The post, uploaded on Dec 3 by user @lohord_sfw with the heading, "Surely this is crossing a line now?", quickly drew attention
The Redditor said they were already putting up with the stream of flyers slotted into their gate.
They even recounted an awkward moment when a "flyer boy" stood outside the door as they opened it, "nonchalantly" slipping a property agent's flyer into the gate before walking away.
"I was stunned like vegetable and didn't know what to do," quipped lohord_sfw. "But this lift magnet is next level I swear."
They added that they once texted a complaint to an agent but received no reply, and asked fellow netizens for "creative ideas to deal with these".
At press time, the post had more than 350 upvotes and 85 comments.
'Should be banned', say frustrated residents
Many Redditors sympathised with the complaint, with some suggesting that stuffing flyers into gates should be disallowed.
One user wrote: "The amount of wasted paper across the island from these flyers in everyone's letterbox. They go straight in the trash. Should be discouraged or even banned."
Another pointed out that there was no way to confirm the magnet was placed by the agent himself.
"Could be [sic] stuffed into the gate of a resident, then the resident decided to 'dispose' of it in the lift. It's the equivalent of people throwing paper flyers in the lift. Yes it's bad that they stuff flyers into the gate, but it's the residents' who are at fault for littering."
Several commenters brought up similar annoyances, such as flyers stuck on car windscreens.
"To me, worst is those flyers put on windscreen, and if you park outside, and it rains and dry up," said a netizen.
Even worse, added another user, is when they put it on the windscreen wipers on the passenger side instead of the driver side. "So the driver going into the car wouldn't notice it until he is seated in the car. Now he has to exit the car, walk all the way to the other side of the car to retrieve it, before coming back to the driver seat."
More extreme examples included stickers and even ink stamps advertising locksmith or plumbing services, with one user describing how an advertiser stamped their number on "lift lobbies, mailboxes, AED boxes, you name it".
The user added: "Really irritating since they're literally permanent on the surfaces... Makes the whole estate look horrible!"
Creative solutions also emerged, including starting a communal "wall of shame" outside one's unit.
"Invite your neighbours to contribute. Mention on the wall of shame that the entire floor has reached an agreement to never ever call these agents," quipped a user.
"I wanted to throw away, but my wife cut the agent and logo away so now we have a free fridge magnet calendar," said another.
Not everyone was upset, though. One commenter said magnets were "useful".
"I think most people just trying to make a living… Magnet is expensive to produce but it's a means to stand out (in) the competitive real estate market," they said. "Just put on the fridge and use for important memo."
A CNA Today report noted that agents still rely on flyer distribution as one of the more "consistent, tangible ways to build presence and increase awareness". Some also described it as a numbers game — the more units they reach, the higher the chance of getting a response, especially from residents who are not digitally savvy.
According to the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), which licenses property agents and regulates the industry, placing flyers in the gates of residential properties is not an acceptable practice.
Stuffing flyers into gates not allowed: CEA
In an advisory, CEA said distribution should be done responsibly and professionally.
"Distribute flyers and pamphlets so that these are only visible to the intended recipient. Do not leave these items at the gates of people's homes or on their vehicles. Not only is this unsightly, it can also lead to a littering issue."
CEA also urged agents to try alternatives such as property portals and social media platforms, through electronic means such as emails or text messages, or maildrop service.
Residents can complain to the agency or to the CEA, and agents who breach this guideline may face penalties. Town Councils are also authorised to issue warnings or take action against offenders.
