Gimmicks Used in Real Estate Advertising

To grab our attention there are many gimmicks in advertising that people use to sell houses. FSBO and agents alike have been known to entice buyers by throwing in paintings or a free boat or a car on completion of a sale. How many of you guys have clicked onto a sexy Facebook photo only to find the page opens on a “Homes For Sale” webpage and no sign of the interesting lady? I am a no frills kind of guy who prefers to cut straightforward deals and I expect and give value for money. Having said that, we all have our own ways of doing business so leaving my own preferences on one side I guess it’s a case of whatever floats your boat.

So, I am not going to judge others who may think that sex sells real estate. If scantily clad people pictured “relaxing at home” stimulates a buyers interest, then good luck to them. There are plenty of other product advertisers using this tactic. Hmm...actually if you really think about it consumers are over exposed to these kind of ads these days and this trend of sexually-oriented themes is evident in some print ads and broadcast media.

Now it got me thinking, does this kind of advertisement sells houses?

Just like the sexy Facebook ladies who are merely a front to entrap unsuspecting folks to open up a web page of house for sale ads, this kind of advertising can give more traditional real estate businesses a seedy reputation?

Perhaps not everyone will agree with me. But, I've been in the real estate industry for many years now and I’d say that the only way for me to go on with this business successfully is to have the right values, mindset and willing to do the activities necessary to be successful:

• Trust built in making business relationships
• Commit to serve and help as many people as you can
• Learn and practice your real estate skills everyday and learn more
• Surround yourself with the right people who share the same passion as you do
• Network as much as you can
• Leverage online tools

These are my values and I love deals that satisfy both buyers and sellers. That’s a win-win situation for me.

Personally, I don’t feel the need to resort to gimmicks to sell houses. But “each to his own”. in the end we all probably will get what we deserve.