The Costello and Costello Real Estate Group of Issaquah have posted an apology letter on their Facebook page for those who were offended by their advertisement.
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 phone 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.
The apology was made after their newest ad was sent to hundreds of homes in Snoqualmie Ridge and enraged working moms in their area.
The bashful ad was first reported by Alison Grande in Kiro TV.
The ad shows Chase and Jeffrey Costello on one side dressed in suits, and a mother with three children on the other. The mother with three children is tied up, while a daughter paints her face. There is a baby sitting on the floor with a colander on her head, and a duck standing in the disheveled room. The question "WHO WOULD YOU RATHER REPRESENT YOU?" is printed below the pictures.
The wording on the ad says "Part Time Agent" next to the woman and her children, and "Full Time Professionals" underneath the Costellos, who were dressed in suits. On the flip side, it lists what the Costellos can provide balanced against what the woman can offer. For the woman with three children, it says, "Available at THEIR convenience not yours."
