Selling may be a numbers game, yet a Brisbane-based numerologist has taken this concept to another level by suggesting that a property’s street number can induce certain feelings in potential homebuyers.
“Buying a home is one of the biggest financial investments we will ever make - when you first walk into a home you’ll either feel good or will be turned off. This has a lot to do with energy and aesthetics, but perhaps it’s also your numbers talking,” said self-professed numerologist Max Coppa.
“A house’s street number can reveal important insights in to the energy of the house, and quite possibly its future potential. If you’ve ever imagined being able to look at a house number and instantly assess whether that home will be a perfect match for you, you have to realise the key is in your date of birth.
“Everything on the planet is calculated by numbers, and we add up as well. Pythagoras, the father of numerology worked this out thousands of years ago and as a professional numerologist, I’ve updated its use to suit the 21st century,” he said.
According to Mr Coppa’s website, he has worked as a palmist, numerologist and dream interpreter for the past 35 years.
PRDnationwide recently engaged Mr Coppa for his views on numerology and its relevance to the property purchasing process.
Whilst respecting the possible role of numbers in the game, PRDnationwide managing director Tony Brasier preferred to take a more pragmatic approach to his 2014 outlook.
“Having lived happily in the same property for the past 23 years, which doesn’t reflect any of the family numbers, I prefer to look at research and trends to formulate my decisions around property,” he said.
“However, being a real estate agent, you do need to adjust to many different methods and cultures that assist purchasers in arriving at a decision about a home that they are comfortable with.
“Feng Shui is a case in point and continues to influence Chinese buyers of Australian property.”
Robert Pignataro, managing director at Strathfield Partners, said a property's street address, unit number and/or level number does matter to many of his clients. "It happens every day," he told Real Estate Business in reference to how common it was for the subject to come up with potential buyers.
Mr Pignataro's agency operates in an area popular with Chinese and Indian buyers. He recounted one story where a particular property had strong links to the number eight, which is considered lucky to Chinese. So much so, he believes the property generated a bumper result at auction - almost $400,000 above reserve for a $1.6 million home.
That the lucky number was heavily promoted with the listing helped obtain the result, he added.
He said some new developments were taking it to the exteme by not having a level number four - a number the Chinese consider unlucky. Levels may be instead called level 3A, or simply skipped altogether.
And forget persuading these types of buyers otherwise. "They won't even look at [properties without the right number]," he said.
Mr Coppa’s approach links a house’s number with an individual’s “life lesson” number. According to Mr Coppa, numerology works mainly with the numbers one to nine, including the master numbers 11, 22, 33, 44, which are not broken down to one digit.
Everything in numerology begins with knowing your life lesson number. To find out your life lesson number simply add all the numbers together in your date of birth then reduce it down to a single digit.
For example, if your date of birth is 25 June 1983, you add 2 + 5 + 6 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 3 = 34. You then reduce that number to a single digit 3 + 4 = 7. This is your life lesson number. In this example, being a life lesson 7 you’ll find house numbers that add up to a 7, such as 304, 16 or any combination of numbers that add up to a 7, will suit your energies.
“If you can’t buy a house that matches your life lesson number, then simply understanding the energy of the house number will help you to blend and work with it,” he said.
According to a statement from PRDnationwide, what an individual house number may equate to is outlined below:
One house: Active, sporty, busy, energetic and lively, not for the faint hearted.
Two house: Peaceful, homely, nurturing and great for families.
Three house: Happy, friendly, social, good for writers or journalists.
Four house: Organised, structured, stable, good for planning and building.
Five house: Positive, good for business and suits a traveller.
Six house: Calm, loving and full of happiness, lots of visual appeal.
Seven house: Dynamic, modern, can be unpredictable, good for people in IT and computer industry.
Eight house: Busy, money, power and well suited to passionate people.
Nine house: Tranquil, serene, well suited to psychologists, artists, meditators, spiritual people.