Miami real estate agent gets fired for trying to make money off George Floyd riots
A local real estate agent singing the praises of South Florida found himself out of a job this week.
Joseph Swedroe, 59, has been fired from the Corcoran Group after sending an inflammatory email to prospective clients, The Real Deal first reported. His picture has since been taken down from the website, but his eponymous website is still up.
In the email, Swedroe, who worked in the Surfside offices, showed an image of the recent riots and looting in New York City over the death of George Floyd and implied Miami was a much calmer, safer place to live.
The email, which reportedly carried the subject line “Looking for Change?”, contained a picture of a New York Police Department van engulfed in flames. Another very Miami photo showed people enjoying themselves out on the water.
“It was just a marketing piece to get attention,” he told The Real Deal. “If people are going to move, let them come and contact me if they’re coming to South Florida.”
In a statement, Corcoran said the company has a “zero tolerance” policy for this behavior and “categorically rejects racist and fear-based rhetoric in any form.”
Swedroe is not totally out of job, as principal at his family’s company, Robert M. Swedroe Architects & Planners.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 6:23 PM.
