Want some cookies with that?
That is the response Lyska Fullerton should have given when she witnessed her real estate agent open her fridge and drink out of a carton of milk during a showing.
Closing the fridge and the deal?
In July 2022, Canadian real estate agent Mike Rose was scheduled to show a house to potential buyers in Kamloops, British Columbia. According to the Washington Post, homeowner Lyska Fullerton left the property for the showing and was told later on by the agent there had been a second showing. Fullerton reviewed her Ring camera footage, anticipating observing Rose conducting a tour for interested buyers.
Instead of a typical home tour, the footage revealed Rose entering the kitchen, with no buyers in sight. In a surprising turn, he removed a carton of milk from the refrigerator, took a drink from it, and returned the carton to its original place.
Rose has been fined 20,000 Canadian dollars, the equivalent of $15,087 USD, for the milk incident.
Milk, Then Naptime
Per the homeowner’s account, the surveillance footage didn’t stop with the milk—it also showed Rose sitting on her sofa (this time, while the buyers were touring) and breaking the couch’s arm.
It seems Rose has done anything but his job up to this point.
And who knows, if the arm on the couch didn’t break, Rose might’ve taken a 26-minute power nap.
Ask for Forgiveness, not Permission
Fullerton was understandably shocked to see her agent drink milk straight from the carton—but what was more upsetting was the agent failed to disclose his actions to her. On July 18, the British Columbia Financial Services Authority agreed, classifying Rose’s conduct as “inappropriate” behavior that eroded the standing of the real estate sector.
It doesn’t bother me that he drank milk. I mean, maybe he had an upset stomach, for all I know. But to do it in that way? He didn’t even leave a note or tell us this happened. I had to find out because of my camera, and that’s just gross and plain wrong.
Rose claimed he was “unusually dehydrated because he was taking new medication and under considerable stress.”
At least he didn’t go for the beer.
In a statement given to CFJC Today, Rose expressed regret for his “very unfortunate, and very uncharacteristic, decision to drink milk from a container from the homeowners’ fridge.”
“I have never done this kind of thing before, nor will I ever behave in this way again,” he said, adding: “I acted in a way that is unbecoming of my brokerage firm and my fellow realtors.”
Rose will have a tough time finding a brokerage after this news. One of the 33 questions he should ask his subsequent brokerage is if he can go into clients’ homes and heat up their leftovers.
More Poor Choices Caught on Tape
After reading about this incident, we researched more and found other stories of agents losing their minds (and for some, their jobs).
Right Time, Wrong Place
Here is an agent showing clients the wrong house. He went as far as walking through the home, the rooms, and opening closets. Shockingly, the buyers didn’t like the house.
@honeysmyguarddog Part 2 of the day the real estate agent showed my house even though it’s not for sale. #ringdoorbell #houseforsale #realestate ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
Making Love but not Deals
Homeowners did not trust the agents in their homes and decided to put motion sensor cameras in the house. That’s when they discovered two agents had been having multiple romantic encounters. Take a look.
Sell, but don’t Scam
A marketplace investigation caught agents steering buyers away from low-commission homes.
An essential part of being a real estate agent is professionalism. Conducting yourself in an appropriate, professional manner will help you succeed in this business while gaining respect from clients.
And if that isn’t enough, always remember that someone is watching you. So if you need some milk out of the fridge, grab a glass.
