A RE/MAX franchisee has been told to withdraw its advertising after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints that claims made about rival estate agents were misleading.

A leaflet and Facebook post produced by Billie Dunlop t/a RE/MAX Property Specialists, compared the company’s service with Neilsons, Warners, Thorntons and McDougall McQueen.

They included a comparison table claiming the firm offered features including a personal agent throughout the sales process, accompanied viewings by that agent, a personal social media campaign and same-day feedback on all viewings.

It also claimed to offer “skilled negotiations by an agent who knows your home”, while suggesting competitors did not.

Claims challenged

Neilsons Solicitors & Estate Agents challenged whether the claims could be substantiated and verified.

The ASA ruled that claims in the adverts relating to social media marketing, personalised sale boards and same-day feedback on viewings breached the advertising code.

It also found that consumers were not given enough information to verify the comparison, while the claim “Skilled negotiations by an agent who knows your home” was judged to be subjective rather than objective.

The ASA ordered that the adverts must not appear again in the same form and told Billie Dunlop t/a RE/MAX Property Specialists to ensure future comparisons with identifiable competitors do not mislead and are verifiable.

I accept the outcome of the ASA process, and the advert format in its current form will not be used again.”

Dunlop told The Negotiator: “I accept the outcome of the ASA process, and the advert format in its current form will not be used again.

“Some points raised within the advertisement were accepted by the ASA, while others required greater clarification, refinement of wording or additional substantiation for use in future comparative advertising.

“My focus remains on providing sellers with a personal, transparent and direct estate agency service.”