Real Estate Fails: ‘The Broke Agent’ Pokes Fun At The Most Hectic Homes, And Here Are 40 Of The Worst Of Them (New Pics)
InterviewYou’d expect contractors, architects, and designers all to have good taste… or at least something more or less passable. Alas! Some of them have the aesthetic sensibilities of someone who has never seen how actual human beings live. The decisions they sometimes make lead to some truly wacky interiors that are as hilarious as they are horrifying. Especially how they design bathrooms.
The worst of the worst end up getting shared on the ‘Real Estate Fails’ Instagram page, an account that's part of the popular ‘The Broke Agent’ brand that has since expanded and evolved into 'Broke Agent Media.' We’ve collected some of their most jaw-droppingly offensive interior pics to share with you today, Pandas, to remind you to look at everything during house viewings.
Scroll down, upvote the pics that you think are spookier than your Halloween costume this year, and let us know in the comments what you genuinely think, Pandas. Oh, and those of you who have a background in Good Taste(™) might want to place your hands on your face in advance—you’ll be facepalming either way.
Read on for Bored Panda's follow-up interview with the founder of BAM. And when you’re done enjoying the utter and complete lack of taste and good design in the photos in this list, check out our previous feature about ‘Real Estate Fails’ right over here.
More info: Instagram (Real Estate Fails) | Instagram (The Broke Agent) | Instagram (Broke Agent Media) | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | BrokeAgentMedia.com
This post may include affiliate links.
I would be converting this into a cats throne room, complete with little stairs for them to climb up.
But the "Live Laugh Love" sign should be in its mouth like a speech bubble.
Load More Replies...what if I need to get a snack when I'm taking the biggest dump of my life
Load More Replies...I guess at least the resident is using their sense of humour to make the best of a bad situation
I don’t think I’d feel better living in this situation if I also had to look at the same dumb joke every day.
Load More Replies...I see you've never had the privilege of renting a room in a subdivided house from a slumlord.
Load More Replies...Aaah you saw it too. I think it is. But I hope it is not. Those are urine sprinklers. And it's like "hey, house is too small, we'll have a bitchen, but we won't cut on my urinal babe"
Load More Replies...W: I bought one of them new side by side frig. H: Hon, I keep telling ya we ain't got room for one. W: Well its coming so find room. H: Ok hon, I found room but I don't think ya's going to like it.
Had one in college. Stand up shower 2 feet and directly across from the oven. Getting ready for work was a breeze.
Great toiletres storage if them stairs dont lead to anywer 🤷
And the item you need will always be on the top step!
Load More Replies...That’s exactly what I was thinking! Don’t leave the seat up!
Load More Replies...Imagine having just finished off your 3rd bowl of chili when the rumblings start. You've got mere seconds to reach the facilities or there is going to be a flood on hershey highway. And then you come to this. Every step down another step in concentration as you squeeze with all your might, your abdominal muscles aching. Then the last "step" as you can see the prize in site. Now to plot your course to descend to the throne. Right foot radiator or left foot radiator going backwards?
I’m sweating just reading your scenario. This bathroom gets a thumbs down..👎
Load More Replies...I've always heard about these "pissing contests." Never actually saw an arena for one, though.
The mastermind behind ‘The Broke Agent’ and the ‘Real Estate Fails’ Instagram pages is Eric Simon, a former licensed realtor. Since Bored Panda's last article last year, he no longer sells real estate and has been focusing on 'Broke Agent Media' and the 'Broke Agent' brands as his full-time job.
According to Simon, he and his team's goal is for them to become the biggest media company in real estate. "We now have a podcast network, daily blogs, and live shows on our YouTube channel with daily contributors."
"The secret behind The Broke Agent's success is always posting timely, relevant content and constantly evolving with social trends and posting styles," the brand founder told Bored Panda.
"We decide what's good enough for our audience by going through a testing procedure on other apps like Facebook and Twitter, seeing how they perform, and then posting to Instagram. We also have been creating funny real estate content for 7+ years and have developed a great sense for what will hit with our audience."
It's a piece in an exhibit, a pannel with explanation in different languages is visible above it. No real estate here (but a fun anyway).
yeah, I don't know how it made it onto this page when the plaque is so visible
Load More Replies...Maybe if you lived somewhere finding snakes in the bowl was something to worry about...
Or rats coming up after 10 days straight of torrential downpour has flooded the sewage pond outlet, trapping rats in the sewer mains.
Load More Replies...People who mock this never paid hundreds of dollars to find out their blocked pipes had a Thomas train in them.
True after dealing with plumbing issues, I'd actually buy one
Load More Replies...Eye level oven but steps required for the grill and controls!
Load More Replies...That's an awfully big microwave. 🤪 It looks pretty old. Probably takes a lot longer than modern microwaves.
It's not a microwave. At least i don't think. It looks like an oven, which is why it's weird. Cabinets are underneath the stove top and the oven is up top.
Load More Replies...Well, back when I was a kid, we had something similar but much better planned. In fact, most people living in our neighborhood also had similar kitchens. Ours was a drop in gas stove top, with cabinets underneath for storage of pots pans etc.. large amnt of counter top and cabinetry on both sides of stove top. Fridge at the end of counter to left. Opposite that was sink and cabinetry with good amnt of counter. Opposite fridge at end of sink counter was the wall oven. Some people had double ovens as we did. The ovens were built in the wall to keep the house wife from having to stoop down or bend over. The food inside was at eye level through the glass door and it made for a very efficient kitchen easy to use and cook in. My Mom loved it.
well, I wiped, flushed, and washed my hands but I completely forgot to sh*t. maybe need to add one more sign
I was going to say... It's gotta be a kid's bathroom
Load More Replies...According to Simon, the perfect time to buy a home is "when it's right for that buyer." In short, everyone's situation is specific and individual. There are a lot of factors to consider.
"Everyone has a different reason to move and economic conditions are not always a contributing factor," he noted.
The founder of 'Broke Agent Media' quipped that the biggest pro of being a realtor is that you "have a built-in excuse to get out of any social plans because real estate is 24/7, 365."
"I get invited to a Sunday brunch I don't want to go to? Open house. I get invited on a hike for Saturday morning? Inspection. I get invited to dinner? Sorry, I have a call with my clients. Realtors can get out of anything." It's so true that Simon even made an Instagram video about this phenomenon.
...and maybe a second option to escape the fire if the electrical doesn't hold out.
Load More Replies...Needs to murals on the walls to complete the look. Some waves, parasols and a beach hut. Could be soooooo much more!
And are those lamps infrared heat lamps? Might be nice and warm.
Load More Replies...It's a great idea, really, but the only problem with it is that it's not a great idea.
this made me chuckle. If you can't go to the beach, bring the beach to you
My biggest concern would be all the possible amounts of sand that could find its way into the rest of the house, especially when you have friends over for a beach ⛱ party 🥳, lol.
Load More Replies...I was thinking maybe a lower budget show like maybe Trading Spaces, lol 😆. I use to love watching that show.
Load More Replies...Normally to see this many wasp nests in one building, you need to go to Manhattan.
If you're ever walking alone at night, take that stuffed gila with you for safety.
Load More Replies...However, no job is perfect. And being a realtor isn't all sunshine and roses either. "The cons about being a realtor is that it is 24/7 and you have to be available to take a call, respond to an offer, or follow up with a client wherever you are. Your success is solely determined by you," he told Bored Panda.
"There's constant anxiety and everyone is mad at you until the deal is CLOSED. To have a good career in real estate you must go all-in. No part-time bs."
to whoever made this: it is perfectly fine to have a house listing without furniture. there are thousands upon thousands of them
The thing is, it would have been perfectly fine without adding that "furniture", especially the emoji chairs. Although, I would buy just for the dog
Even if I could handle the gross bits, I wouldn't want to share a space with whatever has been gnawing on that tub.
Load More Replies...The Rifle Shape in the wall? Also, a slip and severe tetanus/gangrene danger.
At first I thought this was a broom! Might have had explained a lot then perhaps?!
Load More Replies...#1 AirBnB. $500 per night. $200 cleaning fee. $200 recycling fee. $1000 you're lucky we let you stay here, say wonderful things about us online, pleb, fee.
Suspect the real problem is the non-standard door opening.
Load More Replies...Looks like this might have worked a whole lot better if they cut the top off the door, losing the two small panels and retaining the large one at the bottom. That way my back wouldn't ache from reaching down to the doorknob.
Now I'm wondering where the mechanism is on the other side of the frame. Is it also much lower down? (I'm wondering if WAY too many layers were added to that new-looking flooring.) Or is it at the typical height, or totally non-existent? Does the door actually stay closed
Load More Replies...Aside from the obvious issue with the door, what's going on with that creepy hallway?? :(
If that's a standard sized door, that "doorway" is definitely not up to code. Not anywhere.
During an earlier interview with my colleague last December, he spoke about the social media project. He started posting as ‘The Broke Agent’ over seven years ago. His goal? Focusing on showing the ‘inner monologue’ of a “struggling realtor in Los Angeles.”
“As a licensed realtor, I basically started making fun of everything that was happening to me and put it online in blog form, YouTube Videos, and short-form content like memes, tweets, and Facebook posts. It blew up really quickly and now has well over half a million followers across all platforms,” he told Bored Panda previously.
I'll bet you a million bucks old Fido is taxidermied. He's gonna spend eternity in that position because his owners wuvved hims so much!!!
Oh, no way. That's some advanced s**t right there
Load More Replies...there's no excuse for not being able to reach the cobwebs in the corner
"My mom's got The Rock locked up in the basement and she's just about to mount him!"
Okay, you need an upvote for that brilliant comment.
Load More Replies...Part of Simon’s plan to grow ‘The Broke Agent’ network and platform meant creating ‘Real Estate Fails.’ So far, it’s been a roaring success and has helped strengthen the foundation of the entire brand. But it’s not all about business, views, and likes: the founder enjoys managing the account as well.
"Everyone likes looking at housing pics, especially luxury or real estate 'fails,' so it resonated with an audience outside of the real estate industry as well as real estate agents,” he told Bored Panda last year during an interview.
"Real estate agents love the account because it exposes marketing blunders, property description errors, and other mistakes agents make when uploading their marketing online. It also gives them a platform to submit all the crazy stuff they see in the field and out on showings. The account also casts a wider net on the industry, attracting contractors, appraisers, inspectors, handymen, etc.,” he said.
I want a horror movie about this. Except every time she turns the lights off and back on, the toilet is closer.
Compared to a toilet in the kitchen though, this is the lap of luxury.
I kinda wish my fridge was like this, it’s ugly but the space!
Load More Replies...World record for amount of puns in such a short comment
Load More Replies...Is that a refrigerator ? I hope the homeowner is a little taller than average
Except it's still gonna take up space, just on the other side. And replacing it is going to require a drywall repair kit. AND I hope they have someplace for it to vent/have airflow.
Load More Replies...Funny thing is that TV could be worth close enough to that for the right market if it still works.
Load More Replies..."Most of my posts come from other realtors in my DMs, but I also get submissions in my Discord, through The Broke Agent, and in our real estate Facebook pages and groups," he said that managing the community is pretty much straightforward.
Just the bodies. This house has *just* hit the market.
Load More Replies...Look at the door, and all the lath you can see. The floor is probably worse.
look at that beautiful floor and definitely not a chalk outline of a dead person...
I had to upvote you. I didn't want to, but that was the perfect comment. I feel grumpy now.
Load More Replies...Still a better job hiding the body than the floor photoshop above.
Meanwhile another body was uncovered due to lake mead's shrinking water supply. It's anybody's guess what happened here but rumors have already started that this is the body of the infamous jimmy hoffa. Geraldo is on his way to pull the rug out from under the situation to see what floats to the top.
I guess the owners forgot to take everything out first. Either that, or they really didn't like their new flooring.
“Most of the photos come from agents actually spotting these crazy fails in the field on showings, inspections, or open houses. We also have a series called #ThingsWeSeeAtShowings on The Broke Agent stories."
perhaps they meant to use a decimal point instead of a comma
Load More Replies...I have the sense that this is a home in an area where developers buy the homes to tear them down and build newer, larger things on the land. For that reason, it doesn't matter if there's advertising on the house because no one is actually looking to keep the house. Not a terrible idea in theory
It probably is. The area code is near me, can confirm a lot of houses around here are bought and torn down.
Load More Replies...Why buy a For Sale by Owner sign at Lowe's for $7, when you can spray it all over the house?
Suddenly those gaps in the stalls' doors don't seem so bad, do they?
It's so you can say "there's a hole in the floor below the air freshener"
Load More Replies...Since Simon is a licensed realtor, he’s got a great eye for what might be considered to be ‘out of the ordinary’ posts that will do well online. It’s a skill that he’s sharpened over all these years of posting on social media.
No it's not ok. It's a discrimination against left handed people
Load More Replies...Meh, no qualms here. They made it work. It's functional and doesn't look terrible.
No, there are rooms behind where Monsters Inc. engineers will extract kid's laughs for power.
Load More Replies...Come get fake doors. Call us up and order some fake doors today. Don't even hesitate, don't even worry about it. fake-doors...3dd10b.jpg
Yes, they were preparing with a Christmas tree in mind. Just add lights.
Load More Replies...Oh man, YES! I'm still laughing about this 10 minutes later.
Load More Replies...That was put there by a mom getting tired of being the only person to ever put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom.
This is fine. I mean sure it's questionable, but it's super aesthetic and clean.
No it's not! Google what happens in the bathroom every time you flush the toilet
Load More Replies...Sure, it seemed silly BEFORE 2020. (Me in January: "48 rolls? In one package? Meh, who can beat 80% off!" Me in February: "Why are all these silly people buying so much toilet paper?" Me in March: "Hey, if anyone needs some toilet paper, I got plenty." Me in April: "Uh, when is the toilet paper coming back?" Me in May: "Sherryl Crow, please forgive me for laughing at you back in the '90s for trying to get people to use one sheet per sh-t." Me in June: "I am hunter king! I have provided for my family! I have found TP in the stores!")
You describe how I am also but the packs are 72 rolls 😅
Load More Replies...Well, it looks like they don't put the lid down before flushing, so all that toilet paper is contaminated by microscopic particles of human waste.
There it is! I finally found it! The "toilet tree". A joke that's been running around our family for years. (I.e. "I need to pack my toiletries.")
I'm puzzling over the three really big rolls at the top. Are they for when there's a real emergency?
Can't reach them easily when you're sitting on the pot.
Load More Replies...He noted that the content that performs best on ‘Real Estate Fails’ includes anything related to toilets and stuff that’s provocative and/or erotic. “The audience goes crazy for it," he said. Something else that’s popular is staging fails where sellers try to cover up various issues with the house.
The brand founder told Bored Panda that the best way to engage followers is to urge the audience to share their opinions. "The best way to [do it] on these posts is to say something in the caption like 'describe this like it's in a property description.' That way, agents can put their humorous twist on a housing feature and highlight it in a positive light like a realtor would do in their marketing,” he said.
I thought that it is called "the thorne" because you sit there for hours and accept visitors who will pledge their humble requests. At least that is how it works in my home.
Load More Replies...Something even more suspicious on the toilet seat.
Load More Replies...This is a basement / first floor bathroom that needed to be elevated for gravity to do its job on the sewer without adding an ejection pump.
If you've got mobility & strength issues, it makes the difference between caring for yourself with dignity, or having to sacrifice that for someone to help you.
Load More Replies...I'm more put off by the obvious file cabinet they are trying to pass off as a regular bathroom cabinet than I am about that stupid toilet.
That file cabinet looking thingy on the left is either the washer or dryer. I suspect dryer.
Load More Replies...I actually like this one, I would put a big bookcase along the wall with enough room to walk along it
Bookshelves would fix this. It's an unappreciated elevated library.
Someone opened up a wall between two rooms, making it one. And then sealed off the more- distant doorway, but didn't rebuild the wall because (1) it's expensive and (2) the kids probably love playing there.
Someone whose toddler plays in that area. You can never be too cautious!!
Load More Replies...That's a very narrow lounge for when you don't want to share your video game.
Real Estate agents really be counting those square feet too. "Cozy reading nook"
"Hi, I'm your real estate agent, and you're living Disney Channel. Bum bum bum bum." And yes, I'd wave an invisible wand.
Someone mentioned it, but not everyone knows - this might be a celebration house. Those are houses built on Disney World property in Florida with features like these. And just like everything Disney, pretty expensive - although you do get perks like park admission I think.
Heh, most likely. (Being a Floridian)
Load More Replies..."Our goal is to make real estate professionals laugh through the daily stress of the industry and also help improve their business with our marketing, consulting, and content platform,” Simon shared his mission with Bored Panda.
Which of these designs made your jaws drop the most, dear Pandas? Did you actually genuinely like any of these pics and are there any halfway decent designs among the junk? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
The worst thing here is most easily fixed. You really do not want a slippy rug around hot surfaces.
I laughed way too hard at this! Thanks! :)
Load More Replies...This is what happens when you tell the cat to get out of the picture before you take it.
that's how one of our cats treats the blinds... and it's visible from the street. Replaced em and boom, next day, tore up from the flo up
I mean, we couldn't have thrown down $20 to fix that before taking pictures
cat's perspective: look what happened to the last cat that tried to use this evil monument
Load More Replies..."Say there, Mr. Kitty...do you ever have a problem with s**t sticking to your fur?" "No sir, Mr. Bear!"
Load More Replies...Imagine having a super nice dream and suddenly you hear the water turn on and this complete stranger is just having a bath like "The tub is broken on my floor, just pretend I don't exist"
I understand this.....wanting to just go from bed to hot tub back to bed.
This is what my alcoholic brother's place was like after my dad found him, except he was in there and he'd been dead for about ten days. It was terribly sad. And it did smell awful even after weeks and a lot of cleaning, and those smells still trigger me big time even years later. Addiction is awful.
Load More Replies...There's quite a few bottles there of a suspiciously yellow liquid 🤢
I mean this isn't something wrong with the house, just a bit of a hoarder situation... just clean it and the house is fine
Nah. That's inpatient rehab so the DTs don't kill you. AA is a cult.
Load More Replies...Reminds me when you have to get a spare part for your car at a junkyard
And the only bit that fits is off a Rolls Royce. You brag about that bit to everyone, bit the resale value of the car goes up not one cent.
Load More Replies...The good news is we do have a replacement piece that is the right size. The bad news is that it is not quite an exact match.
Thanks for stopping your forest sweeping long enough to share that
Load More Replies...Porridge hot, pease porridge cold . . . Y’know, when I was little I once asked my mom what pease porridge was. She made some. I was sorry I asked.
Best neighborhood crime watch program ever: they make sure burglars aren't hiding in your car
I legit live 30 min from here… I put it in my map. I wouldn’t even call this the worst part of town. But a lot of Phoenix and the surrounding suburbs have good areas a block or two from bad areas. If I go 5 min Northeast of my home there are million dollar and up houses. If I go 5 minutes South of my house there are trailer parks. Where I live now is great, but I’ve also lived places around here where the police helicopter would regularly fly over with a search light and loud speaker blaring a suspect description and instructions to call 911 and not approach the individual. Haven’t reminisced about that in a while… ahh to be broke in my 20s…
Google the address. The interior isn't that bad. The street view is questionable.
That's one of the nicer neighborhoods. I know, I spent 15 years in that purgatory
To be fair, my best friend could use something his, she has really bad allergies. :)
I have something kind of similar to this, lol. It's not wall mounted, but it sits on the top of the shelving that makes up my headboard. Mine's a vertical paper towel holder that holds super soft TP, because I have awful allergies and I get colds way too often. It's quite convenient actually, and way cheaper than constantly buying boxes of tissues.
Is it for the Cheetos dust? It's for the Cheetos dust right?
Load More Replies...What is wrong with having paper towels right there where you need it instead of having a box of tissues at the other end of the bed? I bought a roll of tissues one time, that fit in the cup hole in the car, but can't find any refills; otherwise here would have been another place to use it. Also, I like those two pillows at the end; they would be great for reading in bed. What's repulsive, tacky, whatever you want to call it when someone prepares in advance for s*x, allergies, you name it?????
The captain has turned on the seatbelt sign. Put down the bong and come back to your seat.
Load More Replies...For your information folks those are tobacco water pipes for legal purposes only. If I have to say it again I'm going to have to ask you to leave my head shop... ...I mean tobacco dispensary
They are "vases". You can put water in and some special "flowers".
Load More Replies...Real Estate Sale Ad: May have a slight smoky smell as previous owner was a smoker.
Nothing says, "Young adult came into some money and blew it all" more than this.
It could have been a spring break house or a house that was used for some ad/ sponsored tv event.
Load More Replies...This was probably really frikkin cool in its heyday I wonder what was playing on the radio the day they opened this pool
Whatever it was everyone in the band had a mullet and a denim vest with no t shirt underneath
Load More Replies...I was kind of hovering over the possibilities. I haven't seen any "vases" like these, but back in my day, "vases" were larger, and several people could smell the flowers at once.
I was kind of hovering over the possibilities. I haven't seen any "vases" like these, but back in my day, "vases" were larger, and several people could smell the flowers at once.
