Realtors Behaving Badly: Sex and Social Media Edition

Image of Robert Lindsay and Jeannemarie Phelan via Gawker

Robert Lindsay and Jeannemarie Phelan, you may remember, were hired by the Weiner family to sell their home. But for some reason, the house just wouldn’t budge. Was it the high asking price? Or the fact that instead of hosting open houses, the pair was using the home as a meeting place for sexual rendezvous?

The story of the Coldwell Banker agents went viral, of course, but the homeowners — who have filed a lawsuit against the agency and the realtors individually — aren’t laughing. They’ve declined interview requests, but recently released a statement expressing their ire at the way Coldwell Banker has responded to the case:

“Coldwell Banker has treated this matter as if their realtors Robert Lindsay and Jeannemarie Phelan spilled a cup of coffee in the Weiner’s home. However, the allegations are much more serious and important to the Weiners and, clearly, should be important to current Coldwell Banker clients.”

They’ve also used Facebook to confirm certain suspicions:

[Coldwell Banker President Hal] Maxwell also states that Coldwell Banker “ceased” its affiliation with the agents in January 2012 – yet Maxwell remained Facebook friends with Robert “Bob” Lindsay for almost two years. It’s interesting to note, Hal only removed Bob as a friend three days after this action was filed on December 8, 2013.

Proof? This image, which was included with the statement:

The statement also contains information about those alleged “hidden cameras,” continuing the debate about whether the agents were aware the cameras were there or not. The text of the full statment is below. Meanwhile, Maxwell better take a look at those Google+ circles of his.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
UPDATE – Weiner vs Coldwell Banker / Robert Lindsay / Jeannemarie Phelan

Despite a strong public and social media interest in this matter, the Weiners have not spoken to the press and have not granted any requests for interviews despite numerous demands. One of the Defendants’ attorneys was quoted as stating the Weiners wanted to try their case in the media – this is not true.

Coldwell Banker has treated this matter as if their realtors Robert Lindsay and Jeannemarie Phelan spilled a cup of coffee in the Weiner’s home. However, the allegations are much more serious and important to the Weiners and, clearly, should be important to current Coldwell Banker clients.

In a statement by Coldwell Banker President, Hal Maxwell, Maxwell stated that the Coldwell Banker Agents at issue where “independent contractors.” In the same sentence he refers to them as “agents.” Mr. Maxwell also states that Coldwell Banker “ceased” its affiliation with the agents in January 2012 – yet Maxwell remained Facebook friends with Robert “Bob” Lindsay for almost two years. It’s interesting to note, Hal only removed Bob as a friend three days after this action was filed on December 8, 2013. [ see image ]

Mr. Maxwell also states that these former Coldwell Banker agents have not listed or sold properties on Coldwell Banker’s behalf – regardless – Lindsay and Phelan had access to and Lindsay even sold Coldwell Banker’s client’s homes. Maxwell was quoted stating “We hold affiliated agents to the highest ethical standards” – Why did Coldwell Banker allow these agents into ANY homes after full knowledge of what they have done?

The New Jersey Real Estate Commission is actively investigating this matter. This raises the question as to what, if anything, Coldwell Banker did to advise the New Jersey Real Estate Commission regarding the conduct of its agents at the outset when the fact of their misconduct was brought to Coldwell Banker’s attention over two years ago.

Additional facts will come out during the discovery part of the case. This includes details that clearly demonstrate the Weiner’s home security system did NOT include “hidden cameras” [ see image ], which one defendant stated in a counter complaint. On more than one occasion, both Lindsay and Phelan can be seen looking at the camera(s). Our only intention here is to refute and clarify the obvious public positioning of both Coldwell Banker and the two former Coldwell Banker Realtors.