The days when estate agents told us everything was okay and the house price turn was merely a media invention are long over. You don't need to look far to find our agents telling it like is. In New York, however, it seems they play by more restrictive rules. Check the fall-out when one agent decides to throw a little skepticism at the idea of a $5m Park Avenue apartment achieving their asking price in the current climate.

She was reprimanded via a stinging statement e-mailed to the press by the company saying her comments were "speculative and at times factually incorrect." But other brokers there say they'd be fired for break ing Brown Harris rules against talking to the media without permission and not talking up the "every thing's fine" line.

[via Curbed]

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