A property listing in Lincolnshire has been removed from major portals after a virtual tour revealed Nazi-era memorabilia displayed inside the home, raising questions about pre-listing vetting procedures in the industry.
The three-bedroom semi-detached property in Spilsby was marketed by Purplebricks for offers in the region of £190,000. The listing described it as a “lovely semi-detached family home”.
The virtual walkthrough, created by Purplebricks as part of its marketing package, reportedly showed a study containing Wehrmacht helmets, wall-mounted firearms, military knives, a Waffen-SS poster and Nazi eagle insignia. Images circulating on social media also appeared to show a mannequin wearing a German military field cap and a display of large knives mounted on a wall beside a Nazi propaganda poster.
Portal response
According to The Telegraph, Purplebricks subsequently removed the listing from its website and terminated its contract with the seller after images from the virtual tour were shared online. The property was also removed from major portals including Zoopla and Rightmove.
A spokesperson for Zoopla said: “The listing was live for a short time and we acted swiftly upon notification to remove it from our sites. We work regularly with our agent partners to ensure property listings comply with appropriate standards.”
A spokesperson for Rightmove said: “As soon as we became aware of the offensive imagery, we immediately took steps to remove it and we’ve spoken to the estate agent marketing the property to let them know the action that we’ve taken.”
Industry implications
The incident highlights potential gaps in content moderation processes for property listings, particularly as virtual tours become standard practice in the industry. While portals have faced increasing regulatory scrutiny in recent years, content vetting procedures vary across platforms.
A Purplebricks spokesperson told The Negotiator: “We have removed the property from our website and apologise for any offence caused. We have now terminated our contract with the seller.”
The case raises questions about whether agents and portals should implement additional screening measures for virtual tours and photographic content before listings go live, particularly as automated marketing tools become more widespread across the sector.
