I gave my number at an open house. How do I get random real estate agents to stop harassing me?

The law is on your side, policy professional Kat George writes. It’s worth making spam and privacy complaints Read more Australian customer service questions I made the mistake of giving my email address and phone number to a real estate agent when looking at a property. How do I get random real estate agents I’ve never met to stop harassing me? Lucky for you, there are two sets of protections in place to help you with this problem. Australia has strict rules and regulations around spam, which mean real estate agents can’t contact you with marketing messages if you don’t want them to. Under Australian privacy laws, they are not allowed to share your personal details with other agents, so you absolutely don’t have to put up with contact from an agent you’ve never met. Firstly, spam. Under the Spam Act 2003 and the Spam Regulations 2021, anyone wanting to send you marketing texts or emails must first have your consent. Consent can be either express or inferred. Express consent is where you give over your details with full knowledge and acceptance that you’re going to receive marketing. For instance, if you’re at an open house and a real estate agent offers to contact you about other