It looks like not all of Brixton is delighted to have a shiny new Foxtons office opening up on the site of the old Speedy Noodles restaurant, with the estate agent’s windows being scrawled with the words ‘Yuppies Out’ and ‘Yuck’ over the last few days.
As reported in an earlier post, Foxtons have an appalling reputation. After they were forced to reword their contracts after a court order from the Office of Fair Trading, here’s what The Guardian had to say about the company’s business ethics:
Staff were paid minimal basic salaries plus commission so that, according to one former employee, they were “driven to do almost anything to clinch a deal”.
Dodgy practices included pulling down other agencies’ For Sale boards and putting up their own for properties they weren’t even selling.
[Foxtons opening party, March 9th 2013]
Earlier this week, the snooty and sneering Estate Agent Today site had this to say about the new Foxtons office opening in Brixton:
As talk surfaces of a stock market float for Foxtons, you may have wondered what it would be like to be driven around in one of those foxy little Foxtons cars.
Every estate agent’s dream – or every estate agent’s idea of a nightmare?
Well, a journalist recently went in one and reckoned she’d have had a better reception if she’d been clocked in a Nazi tank. People glared and curled their lips, apparently.
Mind you, it was Brixton.
Not that we’re saying there’s anything wrong with Brixton. But (a) it’s not Belgravia and (b) it’s where Foxtons have opened up in what was formerly probably Brixton’s idea of a health food shop – a popular quick noodle joint.
Discuss the arrival of Foxtons – and their dodgy practices – on the urban75 discussion thread (already over 300 messages long!).
Update: Read about a conversation between a Foxton’s worker and a local resident in the aftermath of the Brixton Thatcher Death Party (where Foxton’s was paint bombed):
A lively debate outside a paint-splattered Foxtons after the Brixton Thatcher party
[All pics from the urban75 thread]
Update May 2013:
The arrogance of Foxtons: estate agent parks in clearly marked disabled bay
Related posts:
Brixton people! Know your enemy. Foxtons are in town
The Brixton apocalypse begins as Foxtons arrive on Brixton Road
Dancing in the streets – more photos from the Brixton Thatcher party
Over 600 people sign up for Thatcher party in Windrush Square, Brixton tonight
Brixton gets blander as balloons announce yet another bloody mobile phone shop
Brixton’s lost Banksy graffiti
Photos from the Brixton Effra Social launch party – Tories, rock’n’roll and real ale
Graffiti and old posters celebrate 20th anniversary of Brixton’s legendary Cooltan squat
With this and the Tesco window smashing, it seems there’s a fairly radical undercurrent to the vandalism down your way.
Sadly the vandals in my ‘hood are less discerning……