EXCLUSIVE: Foxtons to ‘turn away’ bigoted clients as it turns offices into LGBTQ safe spaces

Estate agency says initiative came from its staff and that it will take a strict line if vendors or landlords, for example, homophobic or racist views.

lgbtq+ foxtons sticker

Foxtons has turned all 57 of its branches into ‘Safe Spaces’ for LGBTQ+ people seeking shelter from intimidation or abuse nearby

patrick franco foxtonsIts COO Patrick Franco (pictured) tells The Neg that the agency has taken up the initiative because, during Covid, many of the traditional places that have been designated at Safe Spaces such as bars have closed down, and that many areas of London particularly those outside central London don’t have any such spaces at all.

Franco also says Foxtons want to use the initiative to signal to its customers that ‘we are open for everyone’.

Referring directly the recent case of Purplebricks vendors who turned away two gay men and were later dumped by the hybrid agency, Franco says Foxtons will also turn away business if they encounter a home seller or landlord who is homophobic or racist.

Each of the Foxtons offices now has a rainbow ‘F’ sticker displayed on its branch front window as well as a second sign saying ‘This office is an LGBTQ+ Safe Space’.

Google maps

The branches will soon also be flagged up on Google Maps as being Safe Spaces too.

Franco says the signage is not just a gesture. Each branch will have staff prepared to deal with LGBTQ+ people who ask for help, and the initiative is part of a company-wide policy to support both staff, members of the public and customers who may face intimidation.

On a practical level, if an LGBTQ+ person comes in and asks for help, staff will lock the branch door and offer them a hot drink and call the police, although the response will vary depending on the circumstances.

“This was an initiative that came from our own employees,” he says. “And we’re encouraging other property companies to consider doing the same thing, and we’ve sharing best practices through industry networking groups.”


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