What did Josh Flagg say in response to criticism over the Malibu wildfire property sales post? Details explored

Josh Flagg, an American estate agent and TV personality, is under fire after he shared an Instagram post (now deleted) showing two beachfront Malibu homes reduced to rubble after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. He captioned the post as ''JUST SOLD!"

This post of Flagg received wide criticism from netizens, who called him out, saying that the post was tone deaf and triggering. Flagg then told TMZ that the post should have never been shared and that his marketing team had posted it without his approval. He says:

''I'm not going to sit back while people question my character. The photo used in my recent post was a mistake. My marketing team posted it without my review or approval ... I was on a transatlantic flight when it went up. I'm sorry if it offended anyone.''

Josh Flagg criticized for wildfire property sales post

Flagg, the author of The Deal: Secrets for Mastering the Art of Negotiation, and a well-known estate agent, was criticized by netizens when, on August 12, 2025, Josh shared an Instagram post (now deleted) showing the charred remains of the two houses destroyed in the recent Malibau wildfires.

Along with the picture, the caption mentioned the sale prices; one sold for $5 million and the other sold for $4.65 million. This post received backlash; many netizens felt that the ''JUST SOLD'' mentioned in the caption was insensitive and tone-deaf, as it seemed to profit off tragedy rather than acknowledge the loss, and hence trigger netizens' sentiments.

Netizens flooded the comment section of the post, calling out Josh. He later told TMZ that the post was a mistake. He further said:

''Anybody who knows me knows I worked hard to help — placing families who lost homes, speaking out weekly on CNN and FOX, and pushing back on idiotic policies that slowed rebuilding.''

He also said that he fought price gouging, and also fought for fair pricing, and has been vocal about the recovery of Malibu from the wildfires. He added:

Those sales aren't just transactions -- they're helping Malibu residents rebuild and restore neighborhood. Showing progress is a positive sign, because it means a faster recovery and a brighter future for the community.''

He concluded his statement by saying that when one is a public figure, they are appreciated for the good things they do and criticized for the bad ones. He added, saying that calling him insensitive was not accurate.

Other than being a top real estate agent, known for selling homes of millions of dollars, Josh is also famous for being one of the original and longest-running stars of Bravo’s hit reality TV show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles.

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