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Can a Showgirl Help Sell This Home? Listing Pics You Have to See to Believe

To sell a home these days, you’ve got to put on a show—add a little razzle dazzle. And what better way to accomplish that than by sneaking a Las Vegas–style showgirl into your real estate listing pics?

That, at least, is the logic behind an eye-catching new series of listing photos for a two-bedroom condo in Atlanta going for $290,000.

Located in a converted 1940s industrial building formerly known as the Atlanta Brush Co., the apartment is already a property of distinction.

The two-story loft boasts 22-foot-high ceilings, tall casement windows, original exposed brick walls, ductwork, and polished cement floors—highly sought-after design features in industrial-style renovations.

It also has a rocking rooftop deck, and not just one, but two parking spaces, which are rare in this part of town.

And the location couldn’t be better—the hip Sweet Auburn neighborhood, noted for cool restaurants and hot nightlife.

Given the median price in this Atlanta area is $335,000, this place is a bargain to boot. However, for some reason, no one’s snapped it up yet. The apartment first went on the market in October 2018 for $344,900. Since then, the price has dropped eight times, often in increments of $1,000, until it reached its current ask.

Still no buyers. So listing agent Zerina Serulle of Keller Williams started brainstorming with the seller on ways they could call attention to the property.

“We wanted to see if anyone would pick our listing up, if we could make it go viral,” says Serulle.

Inspired by the infamous T. rex listing in Texas featuring a person in a dinosaur costume, they racked their brains for something else that could turn heads.

It turns out Serulle and the seller had a mutual friend who works for an Atlanta company called Two Chandeliers Entertainment, a professional dance company specializing in entertainment for corporate events and themed parties, supplying them with classic Vegas-style showgirls, cigarette girls, and go-go dancers.

They decided to see what would happen if their flashy friend came into the condo to take some campy photos. And the results are, well, see for yourself!

This lovely lady was shot caressing brick walls, bending over the oven, and making other showstopping poses.

Well, those photos certainly caught our attention, but how did they land on potential buyers?

“I got a lot of likes on Facebook,” says Serulle. “And a lot of those likes were from other real estate agents, who had clients that could be interested.”

At a time when listings are competing tooth and nail for attention online, can something wild and creative like this do the trick? Yes, but it can be a risk.

“Creative, sexy, and fun marketing can be brilliant, but it needs to be brilliantly executed,” says Ed Fix of The Agency, a nationwide company that is famous for its unique and clever marketing. “Otherwise, your feathered peacock will land like a dead duck.”

Nathaniel Pitchon-Getzels of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices admires the photos, but questions whether they’ll translate to a sale.

“The photos are funny and they make you laugh, but do they make you want to buy? Most people take a major purchase like a home very seriously—it’s one of the biggest purchases they’ll ever make,” he explains.

We guess only time will tell whether this pink-feathered sales stunt will pay off, but in Serulle’s mind, it was worth it.

“Many agents who saw the photos said, ‘You should do this in all your listings,’” Serulle recalls. “But I told them this was a one-time shot. It has to fit the listing. I’d only do it again with another fun, cool, hip property like this one.”

The post Can a Showgirl Help Sell This Home? Listing Pics You Have to See to Believe appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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