As the American advertising slogan goes, milk “does a body good.” But for one real estate agent, his wallet might feel differently.

Canadian real estate agent Mike Rose was slapped with a substantial fine of 20,000 Canadian dollars (approximately $15,000 USD) by the British Columbia Financial Services Authority (BCFSA), for drinking milk in an unauthorized manner. The agency deemed Rose's behavior “unbecoming" and detrimental to public confidence in the real estate industry at large.

The incident occurred on the evening of a house showing in mid-July. Homeowner Lyska Fullerton and her family had prepared the house for one set of potential buyers. Later, Rose informed the Fullerton family of another showing. Unbeknownst to them, Rose had been caught on a Ring camera during that second showing, making a series of questionable decisions.

The surveillance footage showed Rose entering the house ahead of the scheduled buyers. He opened the kitchen blinds, proceeded to the refrigerator, took out a carton of milk, and took a drink directly from it. He then put the milk back in the fridge. As the potential buyers toured the house, Rose also sat on the couch, inadvertently breaking its arm in the process.

Fullerton said her concern wasn't about the milk itself, but the lack of transparency. "He didn't even leave a note or tell us this happened,” she said. “I had to find out because of my camera, and that's just gross and plain wrong,"

In a statement to a local news outlet, Rose apologized for his actions, describing them as "very unfortunate, and very uncharacteristic." He acknowledged his mistake and vowed not to repeat such behavior, promising to reflect on his actions in the coming weeks.

The incident has raised questions about professional conduct in the real estate sector and the expectations clients have for agents during property showings. It has also sparked a broader conversation about the responsibility of agents to uphold ethical standards and respect homeowners' spaces.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Whether we are in church leadership or business people in the community we must make sure that our behavior is exemplary at all times. Our actions reflect on ourselves and on our Christian testimony to the world.