Hasta La Creative!

Cookie cutter houses and neighborhoods are as common as cookie cutter Realtors in pant suits. They have mean handshakes and aren’t afraid to use them. A single sale can produce generous margins, enough to stock up on bland business cards that feature stock image houses and  executive photos of themselves. Some agents are bold. They’ll even create magnetic calendar versions of their cards just in case we forget what month it is when we’re reaching for a midnight snack. Why not create a huge billboard identical to your business card? Because when I decide to buy a house, nothing says “buy” like a yearbook photo and a phone number. I have nothing against these peddlers of the American dream who provide a much needed service. I do have something against business as usual. The housing market is where it is because of lender over-speculation and loan baiting. Real estate agents aren’t bad people, just bad marketers in the advertising award show sense. Now that people are buying less square feet if any at all, real estate agents have to work harder for their cut. Those in the know will work smarter. There is some hope for the industry. I found a real estate ad that appeared to have a concept and even appealed to a specific target.

I found the ad in RVA magazine, a local Richmond artsy community publication. They have designers who create ads that fit the magazine’s image. In this competitive landscape (wink wink) agents around the country can benefit from a little creative risk, at least until the market gets better. In an unrelated note, Richmond area home values are on the rise.