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What will they call YOUR listing?

Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty

July 25, 2011 05:36 AM

I've run into an interesting phenomenon while showing properties lately.

I routinely send listings to my clients via e-mail, and they look through the properties, (I call them "virtual showings") and send me back a list of the ones they'd like to view.

I print up a nice booklet, for my clients, of the properties we'll be touring during the day (complete with maps, and photos), and as we enter the property, the buyers have been asking "so, which house is this?". I usually announce the home's specifications as I open the door, just as a reminder of what we're about to view "This home is a 3 bedroom, 2.1 bath listed for $365,000".

But they want to know "Which house is this?". I thought they were perhaps wondering what the address was, or what price point we were in, but as we walked through the living room and dining rooms I learned what they meant... "Oh... right, this is the 'Pastel' house". Indeed all the homes were painted in soothing pastel colours.

They've been reviewing the homes online... and that's how they've learned to recognize them... looking at all the photos, the virtual tours... they've become very familiar with the homes. In fact they have developed nicknames and identifiers for the homes... this one is the 'pastel home', another is the one with the 'circus room', a third is the 'bad decorating' home. Some of the nicknames are pleasant, some are kind, some 'not so kind'... "oh, right... the one where the Flintstones live next door." (the Flintstones are the ones who have a car with no engine in the front yard!)

What will they call YOUR listing?

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Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Anna - ya gotta laugh, or you're gonna cry.

Jeff - and the house that look's like cousin Erkle's house?

Joe - a popular, yet elusive, nickname.

Jul 25, 2011 10:46 AM

Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL

Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Looks like they create their own system of references. I think I can understand as 3 bdr/2 bath may not be enough to separate, while it it enough to be the common denominator.

Interesting observation

Jul 25, 2011 11:09 AM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Jon - they do, indeed.

Jul 25, 2011 11:38 AM

Gay E. Rosen

Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty - Larchmont, NY

As Real as Real Estate Gets!

ALan - many of us are visual learner... so that first impression is THE impression.... nice post - as usual... when will you disappoint...

Jul 25, 2011 01:00 PM

Nathan Tutas

Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Davenport, FL

Your Central Florida Real Estate Expert

Hey I'll take that car if they don't want it. :) We tend to have some really crazy color schemes in our communities. I always hear the same thing. "Oh, this is the orange house". As in orange living room. Seriously...

Jul 25, 2011 01:06 PM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

David - sometimes the most descriptive, too.

Gay - I have no plans to do so.

Nathan - much better than the smelley room.

Jul 25, 2011 01:45 PM

Christine Smith

Buyers Brokers Only LLC - www.BuyersBrokersOnly.com - Canton, MA

Exclusive Buyer Agent & Attorney, Canton, MA

Alan....many of my buyers do that as well. It helps them to remember. If the Seller is lucky it is something like the one with the beautiful yard rather than the one with the ugly bathroom.

Jul 25, 2011 03:28 PM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Christine - indeed.

Jul 25, 2011 03:34 PM

Praful Thakkar

LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA

Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Interesting concept of naming the homes, Alan. I have had conversation with the buyers after the showings and now I can relate our conversation with your post - great obesrvation.

Though I like the color green..(as you have it in your tagline...how do you change it all the time?)

Jul 25, 2011 03:59 PM

Jason Sardi

Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC

Your Agent for Life

I'll take the one "that doesn't smell like cat piss" for $400.00, Alex Alan.

Nicknames win games.

@ Comment 25 - I recognize you from Vanilla Sky:)

Jul 25, 2011 05:00 PM

Laura Giannotta

Keller Williams Realty - Atlantic Shore - Little Egg Harbor, NJ

Your Realtor Down the Shore!

And I guess sometimes the buyers take the nicknames their agents let slip...the cat lady house, the mold house etc.

Jul 25, 2011 11:16 PM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Praful - oh, it's simple... I'd ask the converse... "how do you not change it all the time?"

Jason - hey, that'd make a great category!

Laura - yes, I've been responsible for an ocassional name... "you remember, the one that smelled like adult diapers??"

Jul 26, 2011 01:28 AM

Malcolm Johnston

Century 21 Lanthorn Real Estate LTD., Trenton, Ontario - Trenton, ON

Trenton Real Estate

Alan, this is just one more reason why the MLS photographs are of utmost importance. Buyers are already creating a frame of reference for the houses when they are perusing on the net, and if a home unfairly gets stuck with an unflattering nickname based on the pictures, it would be difficult to change buyers minds after they have been mulling over the name for a while. "Nah, we don't want to see the crap house".

Jul 26, 2011 05:13 AM

Ilona Matteson

Beach Realty & Construction on the Outer Banks of NC - Duck, NC

Ilona Matteson

Excellent observation. Now that I think about it, they do the same thing in my market. Maybe to help the online lookers out, I'll go through each of my listings and give it a nickname for them. A positive one of course!

Jul 26, 2011 07:18 AM

Didi Doolittle

Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office - Vail, CO

Vail, CO Realtor 970.232.8225

Ha, love it! One of my favorite clients kept referring to one of their top-picks as "Woody" because it was a log home. It became a joke, but every time they wanted to look at it they'd say, "can we go see Woody again?"

Jul 26, 2011 09:41 AM

Peter Schattenfield

Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT

Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.

Alan, It is human nature to "tag" things for future reference. You can actually glean much information about a client through this.

Jul 26, 2011 12:21 PM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Malcolm - there are already plenty of homes with that nickname.

Ilona - ahh, the preemptive strike... very good.

Didi - I'm not going to touch that one.

Peter - you sure can.

Jul 27, 2011 01:18 AM

Eric Crane -- Your Full Service, Discount Fee Realtor®

DPR Realty LLC - Gilbert, AZ

Greater Metro Phoenix Arizona

Hi, Alan -- I hear much the same from my Buyers -- "Oh, this is the house with the red drapes!" It demonstrates how important the listing photos are. Have a great Thursday!

Jul 27, 2011 07:59 PM

Sussie Sutton

David Tracy Real Estate - Houston, TX

David Tracy Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers

That darn Internet! LOL Little did we know 10 years ago that buyers and sellers would be looking at the Internet so much where homes are concerned. It is a good thing or a bad thing...we shall find out...?

Anyway the best part was the memories the picture of the car provided me.

Jul 29, 2011 04:19 AM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Eric - it does, indeed.

Sussie - and the internet, if you remember, was supposed to KILL the real estate business.

Jul 29, 2011 04:21 AM