Apology comes after ‘transgender’ comment

A real estate company has apologised ‘‘unreservedly’’ after a letting agent was alleged to have told a prospective tenant that a neighbour was transgender.

Ema Tavola said she was concerned when the real estate agent told her they had to ‘‘disclose’’ something about the neighbour. Tavola, a mother, thought the agent would say the neighbour was ‘‘a sex offender or something’’.

But then the south Auckland agent allegedly told her: ‘‘The person upstairs is a transgender person.’’

Tavola told Stuff she was ‘‘taken aback’’ and appalled to think a person’s gender or sexuality was any business of estate agents or neighbours.

Tavola said she went to view a unit in O¯ ta¯huhu with 360 Property Management, part of the wider Ray White group. Tavola said the agent told her: ‘‘I don’t really like doing it but it is something my manager says I have to say.’’

Ray White chief executive Carey Smith told Stuff an investigation was launched as soon as the matter was brought to their attention.

‘‘While we cannot discuss individual employment matters, we can say that any form of discrimination is completely unacceptable at Ray White and we unreservedly apologise for the remark of the letting agent,’’ Smith said.

360 Property Management said it was also investigating thoroughly.

‘‘It is not a company policy at all,’’ general manager James Bangerter said.

Tavola said she was considering going to the Human Rights Commission, and she believed real estate agents should get training on cultural sensitivity.