The chief executive of Foxtons has admitted that the company has “more to do” on workplace culture, after a report alleging that junior employees at the real estate agent had faced unwanted touching and other forms of harassment.

Guy Gittins, who started his career at Foxtons in 2002 and returned as chief executive three years ago, said that the company remained “steadfast in our commitment to an inclusive, professional and respectful culture”, as it reported its full-year results for 2024.

His comments follow a report last week by Bloomberg alleging inappropriate behaviour at the company, based on interviews with more than 20 former and current Foxton employees, as well as legal and employment records, emails, screenshots and other documentation.

“Although significant progress has been made over the last two years, including the introduction of mandatory annual respect and inclusion training, strengthened equality, diversity and inclusion policies, and enhanced whistleblowing and speak up processes, there remains more to do,” Gittins said.

Allegations made include groping, the sending of explicit and suggestive messages and pictures, discussion of the weight of female members of staff in WhatsApp groups, unwanted physical contact and requests for sex, racist and antisemitic comments and a culture of heavy drinking where drunk-driving was commonplace.

Gittins said that over the past two years the company had increased the number of female managers by a quarter, improved “employee engagement”, and cited a recent internal staff survey that showed that 81% of employees would recommend Foxtons as a “great place to work”.

He said: “These initiatives are particularly important to me, and while progress has been made, we recognise there is more we can and should do. We will continue to seek further improvement and progress. We are focused on creating an environment which attracts, motivates and retains a diverse team of talent, that can together deliver excellent customer outcomes.”

Foxtons’ full-year results showed pre-tax profits doubled to £17.5m last year, while house sales in London have hit their highest level since Brexit in 2016.

A spokesperson for Foxtons said the company conducts mandatory annual training for all 1,400 employees that includes issues such as sexual harassment, respectful workplace behaviour and “managing personal relationships at work”.

The spokesperson said: “We take allegations of harassment and misconduct extremely seriously and thoroughly investigate them. We urge all of our employees to use our confidential whistleblowing process so that allegations of wrongdoing can be investigated and required action taken. We are proud of our workforce, which reflects London’s vibrant and diverse population, and we are focused on fostering an environment where our people feel able to speak up.”