Woman About To Buy House Left Stunned by Realtor's Comment: 'Left the Room'

Newsweek

20-06-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
A video about a woman's uncomfortable moment during a final walk-through of her soon-to-be new home—when the estate agent casually asked if she was pregnant, despite her not being so—has gone viral on TikTok.
The video, shared by New York State resident Megan Gillman (@unfilteredlifecoach), 36, sees the life coach and mother of a toddler recount the May incident. "So there are some people who don't know that you can't ask a woman this in 2025," she says in the video.
Gillman explains that while touring the property on closing day, the estate agent unexpectedly asked her "When are you due?" Caught off guard, Gillman responded with "excuse me?"—only to hear the agent follow up with "Are you expecting?" After Gillman replied "no," the agent pressed once more, asking if she had "just had a baby recently."
"No," Gillman replied again, saying: "I'm just a woman who happens to carry her weight around her mid-section."
Gillman told Newsweek that she was mildly surprised by the comment but still found it inappropriate. "I think it's rude to ask any woman about whether she's pregnant, especially if you've only just met," she said. "However, I've been asked this question at least three times before in my life by people I don't know at all, both before and after actually being pregnant."
This time, instead of brushing it off or cushioning the agent's discomfort, Gillman stood her ground. "Well, maybe you should just stop asking them," she said. In her video, which has received over 500,000 views since being posted, Gillman explained that she "left the room" after the exchange.
According to an April 2021 YouGov study, 76 percent of Americans believe that "women are under more pressure than men are to have a certain body type."
Screenshots from a viral TikTok video of a woman recalling a question that a realtor asked her during a house tour that left her stunned.
Screenshots from a viral TikTok video of a woman recalling a question that a realtor asked her during a house tour that left her stunned.
@unfilteredlifecoach on TikTok
'It's None of Your Business'
Charlotte Markey, a clinical health psychology professor at Rutgers University and author of the upcoming book The Body Image Book for Women, told Newsweek: "The poster handled this well. It may not have been a malicious mistake, but still, the estate agent should not have commented on her body...the repeated questions from the agent suggest some deep-seated weight bias."
Markey emphasized that people carry weight differently, and public assumptions about someone's body often reflect harmful stereotypes. "People's bodies come in different sizes and shapes—they do not all look the same," she said.
Etiquette expert Liza Mirza Grotts was equally blunt. She said: "The rule is simple—don't speculate or congratulate. If a woman is expecting, she'll tell you. Never comment on a woman's body. Pregnant or not, it's none of your business until she makes it so."
Carol Kaemmerer, an executive branding strategist and author, added that even well-meaning comments can cause harm. "When it comes to something as personal as pregnancy—or anyone's appearance—assumptions can wound, even when intention is harmless," she told Newsweek. "Respectful curiosity waits to be welcomed in."
Gillman reflected on how her response has evolved over the years. "The first time I remember spiraling for days, stressing about my body and that little bit of belly fat I could never seem to get rid of no matter what diets and exercise I tried! I was so embarrassed," she told Newsweek. "After that I'd try to laugh it off... I'd say things like 'oh no! I just love doughnuts!' so that the person who'd made the statement felt like we were in on a joke together."
But that approach has changed. "Now, after over a decade of random people asking me if I'm pregnant, I'm not trying to make them feel comfortable. I'm just trying to make them stop, even if it's just one at a time."
Gillman said she had hoped society had moved beyond these kinds of body-shaming moments. "The expectation that a woman should have a flat stomach at all times is unrealistic, and often deeply harmful," she said. "I guess I thought we'd all learned that and started to try to be kinder to each other."
To those unsure why these comments are offensive, Gillman offered a final piece of advice, saying "pick different small talk topics next time."
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