Putting lights on the signs?! That might actually work!

Okay, now let’s get serious. People still need to buy houses. Some people still have jobs. And let’s not forget about all those entrepreneurs, entertainers and innovators out there.

Although people think foreclosed homes and short sales are the only buys worth while, it is not true.  Foreclosed homes are normally left idle, in bad condition, and usually need work done to them. Short sales take decades to finalize. What happened to the spirit of buying a home, having the closing shortly after, and then moving in? That spirit is actually still around. People want to find a good deal on a house that has been taken care of. Of course with all the idle houses on the market, the chances of a buyer picking the home you have for sale are small. The only solution: Do something about it. The market no longer works for the agents who go through the usual listing process (list the house, put the sign up, advertise it on the different publications/websites, have an open house, then sit and wait).

It is time to get creative. Time to think out of the box. Selling a house is a business. In a business, when a product does not sell, you change what you are doing, or maybe you change the product all together. It is it the same for the service business.

Here is an example of being creative (this is an expensive example, but the concept is creative and can be used in less expensive ways): In the movie, “I Love You Man” Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), is an Average Joe and a realtor who does the usual routine (described above). His friend Sydney Fife is the opposite of Peter and when he sees Peter struggling to sell a house, he decides to invest in some billboard advertisements.  It is not an average advertisement with a normal picture of the agent with their contact info.  Instead, Sydney Photoshop’s Peter’s face into hilarious/eye-catching pictures with a short tag line about being a realtor. Here are some of the tag lines:

• Peter Klaven, License to Sell, California’s #1 Real Estate Agent
• ‘Pistol’ Pete Klaven, Fastest Realtor in the West

Here are some of the great billboards from the movie:

Honestly, if someone saw these billboards as a buyer or a seller, they would most likely call that realtor.  Why? Besides these being absolutely hilarious and unique, it tells you something about the realtor.  It states that the realtor is serious about real estate. A realtor that goes this extra mile to get their name out there will be the hottest agent around.  Everyone will come to them to sell and/or buy a house.

Ask yourself: What can I do to stand out? How can I sell that house that has been sitting on the market for 14 months? Brainstorm ideas and understand that nothing is too farfetched.

Here is a link to the clip from “I Love You Man”. It includes the billboard scene and when Peter Klaven gets back to the millions of messages in his office. Watch Here