A real estate group in Washington state has caused a stir with its representation of working moms in its latest marketing move.
As Q13 Fox reports, Costello and Costello Real Estate Group sent an ad in the mail that featured a photo of a mom (clearly caught in a chaotic moment) with three kids next to a photo of two men dressed in business suits. The ad labeled the mom as a "part time agent" and the men as "full time professionals" and asked potential real estate buyers, "Who would you rather represent you?"
Now working moms are speaking out against the ad's insulting message.
"I sell real estate and I’m a mom and I do both of them full time and really well," real estate agent Katlin Lee told Q13 Fox. "And I know so many women who do the same so it felt so personal.
Though the real estate group's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts are currently not accessible, the company issued a statement on Facebook before the page was taken down, according to Mashable.
The Costello Team would like to apologize for our last marketing piece and we take full responsibility for it. We have received a flood of emotionally charged messages and phones calls, and we thank you for your responses. As sons of a single working mother and agents trying to build a family business, these reactions were difficult and important for us to hear.
There are thousands of professional agents working in our area who are also dedicated mothers, including several members of our team. Our original hope with this message was to show the value of having a full-time agent in a competitive market, but we completely failed. We have the upmost respect for moms and working mothers, and we know that the job of a mother is far more demanding than what we do as real estate professionals. Again, we are truly sorry. It was not representative of the company we wish to be.
Working mom Rachel Money also called out the company's tone-deaf ad. She explained to Q13 Fox that the message it sends underestimates the abilities of working mothers.
"They've said that you can't manage a family and manage a career, and I think in this day and age that's idiotic."
The Huffington Post has reached out to Costello and Costello Real Estate Group for comment and will update this story when we hear back.
H/T Mashable
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