Agents Are Digging Their Own Grave?
In Malaysia’s property market, some negotiators are adopting tactics so manipulative they risk collapsing the very ecosystem they depend on. It’s no longer just hard bargaining—it’s psychological manipulation being misused in real estate.
Instead of building trust, these agents stage fake demand, orchestrate false offers, and even flood portals with misleading lowball listings—all to pressure sellers into lowering their price.
The short-term result? Faster transactions. The long-term reality? You’re digging your own grave.
From Persuasion to Coercion
In its original sense, PUA (Pick-Up Artist) psychology uses psychological tricks to influence others. In real estate, it has mutated into something more sinister: coercive tactics designed to corner sellers into decisions against their best interests.
Examples include:
- Fake viewers: Agents recruit 3–4 “buyers” who all make the same lowball offers in front of the seller.
- False consensus: Sellers, seeing apparent agreement, panic and slash their price.
- Artificial reality: Sellers are led to believe “this is what the market is paying,” even when it isn’t.
The Fake Listing Trick
Another manipulative tactic is flooding portals with fake lowball listings, sometimes even posted under other agents’ names.
The aim? To confuse sellers. When sellers see supposedly “comparable” units listed lower, they feel cornered into reducing their own price—sometimes by tens of thousands.
This isn’t smart marketing. It’s sabotage—against the seller, against the market, and ultimately against agents themselves.
Auction Floods Add More Downward Pressure
The situation is worsened by the rise of auction properties. Distressed units sell at discounts, dragging sentiment further down. Combined with fake listings and coercive pressure, the result is a vicious cycle:
- Sellers slash prices below value.
- Buyers hesitate, expecting even cheaper deals.
- Transactions remain sluggish, no matter how many listings are created.
Killing the Hen for Eggs
Yes, forcing prices down makes deals easier today. But it destroys the market tomorrow:
- Sellers lose faith in agents.
- Buyers stop trusting valuations.
- Areas get “tainted” as low-value zones where buyers hold back indefinitely.
It’s like killing the hen for eggs—trading short-term commission for long-term collapse.
The Smarter Path: Build a Brand of Trust
If agents want a real career—not just quick wins—they need to flip the script:
- Build a Brand of Trust: Use real, data-backed valuations and position yourself as an expert, not a hustler. This attracts serious sellers and builds a reputation that ensures long-term referrals.
- Educate, don’t manipulate: Sellers respect agents who explain real numbers and market forces.
- Leverage steady segments: Focus on affordable markets (like sub-RM500k) where demand is genuine and volume is stable.
The agents who will last are the ones who build confidence, not confusion.
Final Word: A Framework for the Future
The property market runs on confidence. Every fake viewer, every fake listing, every manipulative tactic burns that confidence down.
Maybe what the industry really needs is a new framework:
- Verified listings so sellers know what’s real.
- Stronger laws to curb dirty tricks.
- Transparent deal flows that restore integrity.
👉 For agents reading this: the choice is yours. Be the professional who lifts the industry—or the hustler who drags it down.
👉 For sellers: ask your agent for their data, their marketing plan, and their track record. Don’t be pressured by phantom buyers.
Only then can we return a good name to the industry—one where trust, not tricks, drives transactions.
