"I'd appreciate if you talked less with your hands. I find that very irritating."
"Maybe if you talked less we'd get along better."
These are some wonderful quotes from Daryl Ashby, a local Pemberton Holmes real estate representative in Victoria, BC, during our final move-out inspection.
As we pleasantly greeted Daryl, he gave us with a scowl, telling us how this type of inspection "wasn't his job." It seems that through a scheduling mishap, they had forgotten about it until the last minute.
Our moving day, already a difficult time, was made infinitely more stressful by his sour demeanor.
I found his attitude and statements both astounding, and confusing. Real estate is typically a field that relies on referrals and references to survive.
8 months earlier, we had a similarly rude, aggressive experience with his real estate agent daughter Cheryl Ashby.
The place was in horrid condition during the move-in inspection, and she kept insisting that we were just being picky, refusing to write down some of the problems I pointed out.
When I asked if this type of condition was typical for their properties, she said to me, "most tenants have the movers waiting downstairs and have to just sign it."
We had to delay our move by several days while it was re-cleaned, the bathtub refinished, and two doors fixed.
Meanwhile, upon move out, we spent hours cleaning everything to professional standards, and they meanwhile held back nearly $300 of our deposit for cleaning the carpets (left in better condition than when we arrived) and the inside of the stove because we hadn't "sufficiently" cleaned it.
Not only were they unfriendly, but they seemingly have trouble keeping track of the most basic details.
For instance, a few days before we moved out, we received an eviction notice because someone had forgotten to record the rent payment in their system (even though they had already cashed the check).
The clerk at Pemberton genuinely apologized for the mistake, but when I told Daryl that I had been very upset by the error, he dryly muttered, "I'm sure you were." without even looking up from his clipboard.
If you are ever purchasing or renting property in Victoria BC, I unfortunately cannot recommend these agents.
Their attitude was in stark contrast to the polite, friendliness we encountered with most everyone else we met on Vancouver Island.
Your mileage may vary, but our experience was universally unpleasant.
If you've had encounters -- good or bad -- with Daryl and Cheryl Ashby or other Pemberton Holmes agents, please post in the comments below.