Estate agent stands by TikTok comments that FTBs should ‘cut out Greggs’
Video by Midlands agent Megan Griffiths caused a stir on the social media platform after she said buyers should spend their disposable income more wisely.
A West Midlands estate agency has defiantly stood behind her controversial TikTok comments that young people should spend less on frivolous items such as Greggs snacks in order to save up and buy their first home.
Megan Griffiths, who works for two-branch agency DM & Co Homes, was attacked online by TikTok users over her comments, with many saying the housing market remains unaffordable for many young first time buyers. She claims they were ‘light hearted’ and not meant to offend.
Griffiths posted on TikTok that if young people stopped spending £5 every day at Greggs they could save up £8,400 in five years and therefore could have “added that to your deposit on a property”.
The post attracted 5,355 likes and over 400 comments, and has been watched 172,900 times so far. It was also picked up by the media and featured in dozens of national and regional reports.
Mentioning Greggs appears to have sparked the video going viral, as similar comments she made about spending money on betting garnered just 157 views.
Similarly, she lambasted one couple in a previous video for spending too much on their car finance rather than using the money to get on the property ladder.
Frustrates
TikTok user Gareth Jones replied to her Greggs comments, saying: “I agree with the premise that a little [spare] change can add up but this kind of advice frustrates more than helps. The housing market is broken and telling people not to buy a coffee isn’t going to change that.”
The estate agent, who has been posting on TikTok prolifically since October 2021, switched from posting video tours and property details to making more personal videos featuring her commentary various aspects of the housing market and client behaviour in January this year.
Griffiths is not alone in her views – Kirstie Allsopp was recently criticised for making similar comments to the Telegraph (which she claims were made out of context) and several years ago Strutt & Parker garnered significant criticism for a press release that made very similar claims.
See her Greggs video.
