Revealed: Why agents should be careful when posting pics on Instagram
After Knight Frank agent Daniel Daggers resigned following client complaints over an Instagram post, two experts explain why super-rich vendors and buyers can be tricky to deal with.
Two leading social media and property experts have shed light on the likely reasons behind the departure of Knight Frank star estate agent Daniel Daggers after he posted pictures of a client’s house on Instagram without permission.
Like many Instagram stars working in the super-prime global property market, Daggers posted pictures showing both multi-million pounds property for sale and starry clients on a regular basis via his account.
But while they might look friendly at the parties Daggers attended, his clients are viciously protective of their privacy and it is this desire to control their presence online that most likely helped scupper the Knight Frank agent in the end.
One person who should know is Peter Sheehan of buying agency The London Resolution (left).
“We have self-made billionaires as part of our clientele,” he says. “They’re smart because, despite their fortune, they keep a very low profile.
“If they walked past you in the street you would have no idea who they were or how much you could take from them.
“It is not the job of a property agent to start publishing details of the inside of their homes.”
But being savvy is only part of the picture. High net worth individuals are also paranoid about security, and for good reason. Several have been targeted recently by burglars who have sought to exploit ‘generation overshare’ and track down their victims’ movements and addresses.
The most high-profile example is Tamara Ecclestone, who had jewellery worth £50 million stolen from her home in December last year.
“The internet is a fantastic source of information that can be used against the homeowners,” says Simon Giddins of security and intelligence firm Blackstone Consultancy.
“Within the targeting phase information can be gained from online media profiles such as Instagram and Facebook.
“In most cases victims are not selected at random, instead the crime is strategically planned from start to finish beginning with the selection of a group of targets, usually following a local news piece, rumour or social media.”
A few thoughts here, slightly off the topic, first personal branding and use of social media, Daniel Daggers was and probably moving forward will be the darling of social media, I enjoyed his activity on LinkedIn. When he leaves a company are the connections Daniels’ or the company he worked for.
The point being many in the sector not just of prime real estate would be well advised to have their social media affixed to their personal rather than company brand, unless they and the company are the same thing. As leaving a chunk of your personal brand behind when you leave a company is a costly matter.
Second, it is not only the UHNW who have definite ideas about the parameters of what should and should not be in the public domain, and of course the client is always right.
Many years ago I had a wealthy client who did not want the silver ware on show to the public in the photography of his stellar property, a large bottle of scotch and some fine cigars saved the day and the loss of the gem instruction.
And whilst an agent in Harpenden I always remember a colleague coming back from an appointment, and I asked him had he turned his car around in the driveway of a certain house, because a very senior police official had rung the office as the unknown car had sparked a lock down situation with the owner of the house taking refuge in the panic room.