I don’t really want to give this video any more exposure than it has already had, but it’s polarised the industry and created a huge amount of debate on numerous other forums (especially on Facebook).
The question has been posed does sex sell real estate but rather I would prefer to ask the question “Would you employ these agents to sell your property?”
Please be aware the video is very revealing. (My sincere apologies upfront if I offend any B2 readers by sharing this).
Behind the scenes, I have been in touch with the agents in the video and the video production company and will be putting together the results, thoughts and some of the feedback within a separate report/article.
In the meantime, I’d be very interested to see what B2 readers think of this…
54 Comments
Matthew N
Genius. Going to polarize sure but where’s an agent with 100% market share? Their 20%-25% will be raving repeat business because they had the balls to show some personality. We all have seen far ‘worse’ and paid for the privilege at the cinemas…
Nelsonian
I like the fact that the property is north facing……
Matthew N
*additionally – target markets are everything and this is the Gold Coast. Hence above
Peter Mericka
I see this stupid add as “stigmatizing” 19 Binda Place. It will be up there with the mass murder venues as “the skank house”. Who would want to buy a property associated with a pair of slick sleazes and their fetish for associating sex with real estate? So it goes viral and lots of people see it. Good for the real estate agents, but not so good for the new owners whose friends will be asking them about what goes on at that address.
Think you people – just a little bit.
Nick
‘A family home’? Yes indeed.
It has a slightly cheap feeling – mainly when the agents are talking. Might just be me but two male 40+ year old agents arent sexy. :p
Vic
Well produced video but does not help to sell a house. I was distracted by the model and couldn’t bear listening to a couple of ego tripping slick salesmen and didn’t take notice of any features of the property; my daughter, on the other hand said it would only appeal to sleazy rich old men. So if directed at the sleazy, rich, old men market, it may work.
Vic
A more clinical approach from my daughter number 2: The salesmen are taking the piss out of the model to grab attention to the features of the property. She thinks it very clever- but then again with her advertising background she looks at it in a different light- she expands the market to younger upwardly mobile (40 plus) men.
Can anyone else expand on the traget market?
Kylie Emans
Ultimately they must be working on the logic that any publicity is good publicity? but if it is a family home as they describe it they are offending their target audience which seems silly?
PaulD
2 pommie wannabes.
Bill
Hey what’s being a pommie got to do with it. 🙂
Ho yes! I forgot about the ashes :):)
Schwez
So it’s a little different. So what? Props to the agents & production company for going out on a limb and trying something new for the property industry – not new for almost every other creative out there who has seen consistent positive results and excellent roi for their clients from this avenue of marketing.
Matthew N
This wouldn’t work in many places besides the Gold Coast
George Rousos
These agents may have a flair for creative marketing, but not when exercising any great care and due diligence.
If this sleazy strategy was to go wrong for these agent’s – then it may trigger a serious complaint from the vendor to the Office of Fair Trading, and more than likely end up with both agents paying hefty fines for breaching the code of conduct.
I concur with Peter M’s comments about stigmatization – very true indeed.
Glenn Rogers
Wonder what brains trust thought that up, they just burned a fair share of their market – women.
Leanne Pilkington
Do not try this at home! I agree with the previous comment that the Gold Coast would be the only market that this might work. Personally I thought it showed an appalling lack of judgement on the part of the agents. How many vendors are really going to look at this and want those agents to represent them?
Robert Simeon
Very average and embarrassing – where very little IQ on display. I did laugh at this comment on the video:
On the Gold Coast property is not the only thing going off1
I assume he was referring to agents too given the report I just read on <SQM Research Newsletter</em http://www.sqmresearch.com.au
“Recently, Queensland’s Gold Coast has been a much disputed area in terms of market value. On the one hand, we have real estate agents such as Andrew Bell – the Chief Executive Officer of Ray White Surfers Paradise who is claiming that due to the lack of upcoming developments, the Gold Coast is about to enter a period of under supply and so it’s best to get into the market now while you can.
On the other hand, there is the factual data that deems the postcode 4217 and surrounding suburbs as one of the most oversupplied localities in the country.
Danika Smedley
I hope their targetting men…they obviously think that men are their target market. This ad would affend most woman.
I dont think it
B Wilson
House ?!…. There was a house ?!?!
Peter Ricci
Done well this could work, but they show too much, men like sexy and intrigue – if they are after that kind of stuff their are millins of sites out there they can find it on.
By all means have a gorgeous model, by all means sell sexy (because it works) but have some taste. The comments from these guys are poorly crafted and tacky.
Robert, can your guys do a male version of this?
Glenn Rogers
Ads produced by Robert Palmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE
Sam
Best content seen on B2 in some time.
Bill
http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2010/09/09/sexy-homes-spice-up-north-carolina-market/
Robert Simeon
With the benefit of hindight I will pass on that video opportunity – I much prefer the traditional method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7XQ7o48x3Y
Vic
Just heard a comment on REuncut from a representative of Domain, suggesting that the ad was well done,full of humour and would definitely appeal to a younger male audience for this property.
Interesting to see whether Domain will be encouraging these types of videos on their own site.
PaulD
Pity the “younger male audience” wouldn’t be in a position to buy the property.
Only time will tell. My feeling is that you will NOT see a whole lot of this type of advertising.
Brett Clements
Last count is the NEO video has recorded over 250,000 views; and probably got half the industry thinking maybe it needs to start getting creative. That can’t be a bad thing. Personally, I think most real estate Agents need to negotiate some sort of sponsorship from kitchen appliance companies, given the number of times they are mentioned in copy. Miele is right up there against “nestled” and “open plan living”.
Tatiana Mijalica
Interesting to see that the NEO video had over 250 000 views, yet it is still for sale. Surely one of those 250 000 views was actually interested in looking at the house? -:)
Vic
Good one Tatiana, would think that the “young male audience” are not looking at the house, nor listening the two talking heads.
Perhaps they keep coming back to see whether the bathrobe has slipped off.
Greg Vincent
Here they go again…Neo Property with ‘Only at the Movies’ http://ht.ly/472ad (It reminds me of another sequel called Dumber and Dumberer)
Christopher Stear
How tragic. And almost is bad is the view of several here that think it would work on the Gold Coast. I live on the Gold Coast – with my wife and children and over 600,000 other people – and I can tell you nobody in our very large circle finds this appealing. Every female friend – and aren’t they the most influential in buying a property/choosing an agent – was offended.
This is an ad that will get people talking, gain notoriety for the originators, and guarantee they will fail because they just don’t understand their market.
The industry doesn’t need them and they do nothing to add value to the selling or buying proposition for real clients.
Suggest they buy a mailing list of 17-22yo males and direct market something more appropriately aligned to their skill sets – like Hustler Magazine perhaps?.
Greg Vincent
Christopher I don’t think Ian Adams or Adrian Jenkins from Neo Property fully comprehend the ramifications of your statement ‘Every female friend was offended’ and nor will they ever really know the true level of potential clients on the Gold Coast and across the web that they have now turned away forever…
Plus, the fact that 19Binda is still for sale after all of those views makes me wonder whether they have now created such a stigma around the property that the video could be having the reverse effect that the owner intended and is now in fact becoming a buyer repellent.
brett Clements
‘Hello’ Christopher. What’s next? A campaign to get the meter maids into full length Burkas. And Greg, I must say I’m surprised at you using words like “repellant” and “stigma”. The hem line of real estate needs to come up a few notches – maybe from Victorian Times to the 60s.
You guys ever flown Virgin Airlines?
Tatiana Mijalica
Brett, subject matter of the video aside, there is no doubt that the video in question is produced in the highest quality and with an experienced team of professionals behind the scenes. I commend you and your team on trying to make real estate video different and for bringing some creativity into the process.
This is one of my current favourites produced by your team, another GC property: http://www.platinumhd.tv/blog/34-knocking-on-heavens-door-156-tallai-road-tallai.html
The things that stick in my mind after watching it are superlatives about the home and its many awards. It is stylish, different and compliments the home beautifully. Great job!
Maybe hemlines do need to come up in real estate video, but hemlines are one thing and girl on girl action in a room a buyer may be considering turning into a nursery are quite another.
I will be following with interest to see which of these three homes sells first. I would love to also monitor the progress of OFI
Tatiana Mijalica
The ACA coverage on the video was good, the female vendor explaining her decision was a good move: http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8219839
brett Clements
Hi Tatiana. The job of a production company is to deliver on the brief. We are just fortunate NEO chose us to make the spots.
Three videos are all very different. Whether or not you can directly attribute the sale of a home to the success of a video?? That’s a big call. As they say – everything is for sale. At the right price. The job of marketing is to raise awareness. Selling a home is down to the Agent and negotiation. Prevailing market conditions would also factor in. Would they not?
Robert Simeon
The only intelligent analogy that I observed was when they likened the two selling agents as Charlie Sheen’s. If you are going to cheapen the product you then cheapen the price too!
By the sound of this home I keep hearing cheap – cheap – cheap!
Tatiana Mijalica
Good points Brett:)
Brett Clements
This same subject is being discussed on BLOGS in the United States. One of the country’s best real estate photographers had this to say:
“Well. I think we
Brett Clements
That should have been “one of the country’s best real estate photographers had this to say.” Apologies for the typo.
Peter Ricci
Brett, the video above is as far removed from art as can possibly be and depicts the men in it as complete and utter $%^#heads.
It hurts watching it. Art is supposed to be something that confronts our senses and yes it can be offensive sometimes, thats all part of the emotional wheel.
I agree you dont have to show the property – but for me, that and surrounding features are all that matters.
Brett Clements
If NEO chooses to go the ‘shock jock’ way – and their Vendors support them – surely it is their call Peter?
It is not soft porn. If it was, it wouldn’t have been screened in prime time by ACA or on half a dozen other TV shows which are subject to classification.
NEO’s objective was all about getting bums on seats and eyeballs on screens – and the audience seems to be on their side.
The traditional video from Robert – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7XQ7o48x3Y – has thus far scored 138 views.
The breakaway videos from NEO have scored hundreds of thousands of views, plus millions on TV.
Greg Vincent
Brett, can you please stop saying that it’s not soft porn? It is insulting our intelligence & makes me wonder what’s next for Neo Property.
The reason why ACA didn’t show the girl on girl action in the video is because they are subject to classification.
Robert Simeon
The traditional video from Robert
George Rousos
It’s very interesting, I had a number of agents in a training class we ran last week mention to me, that just because the vendor had agreed to the marketing – it doesn’t necessarily mean the agents hadn’t breached their statutory duty of care and diligence.
When developing a marketing strategy for a property, it is vital that one has exercised a reasonable degree of care and dilligence, inorder to avoid any detrimental consequences arising from the marketing that could end up with the person’s property being tainted or simply diminishing in value.
Andy Del Vecchio
I dont think its art.
A good execution of the craft of soft porn, yes.
But not art.
Brett you filled the brief, it got the views and the two agents look like Knobs.
Robert Simeon
Today is International Women’s Day 2011. In honour of it, watch this video.
Dame Judi Dench and Daniel Craig
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/show-video/are-we-really-equals.html
Brett Clements
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing. I’m shooting a male model today. It will be interesting to see if the piece gets the same reaction.
Tatiana Mijalica
Seems that 19 Binda Place has not only not sold, it has gone to another Agent. Does Sex Sell Real Estate? Looks like the answer is no.
Peter Ricci
It is a wonder the video is still up, as I would have thought this would be a negative for this company. It depicts the team behind the agency as pretty silly and I think this may hurt their future prospects. A definite starter for the dumb and dumber of the year awards.
Greg Vincent
Peter, now it’s getting even dumber. I think Platinum HD need a new script writer… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUqvYJ-w-nQ
Tatiana Mijalica
This one is great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Uf8iKkPm4&feature=youtu.be
Vic
Hi All,
Did you see last night’s ACA’s feature on this subject. So the property has been sold and the publicity has been huge.Seems there is a niche for sex in selling real estate.
Maybe the dumb ones are those of us that ridiculed the approach.
Nick
My money is the publicity was huge because its a new fad.
If every single property on the market had a video like that, then no one would bother watching them.
Greg Vincent
Vic, “One swallow doesn’t make a summer”. The initial article was about a listing at 19 Binda Place Sorrento which is now listed with a different agent… http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sorrento-107215846
Interesting to see that when you Google 19 Binda Place Sorrento the video,etc is still live. I wonder if the owner would be happy about that? http://www.google.com.au/search?q=19+binda+place+sorrento&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
The other one at 15 Queen Anne Court Sovereign Island still appears to be for sale.
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sovereign+islands-107198616
I also wonder if in fact the property is sold, whether the girl on girl action within the video actually helped or hindered the sale?