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A film-publicist-turned-agent has won valuable exposure for his listing by emphasising how bad it is.
Ray White Stones Creek agent Gunther Behrendt told REB that he realised the best way to talk up this derelict Brisbane house was to actually talk it down (see photo below).
Mr Behrendt said the real value comes not from the crumbling dwelling but the Dutton Park landholding, which is less than three kilometres from the centre of Brisbane.
The reason the home hasn’t already been demolished is because it was built before 1946 – owners of pre-war homes face tougher bureaucratic obstacles if they want to rebuild, so there is a risk that any buyer may not win approval.
“So I'm trying to promote the fact it is in a condition that would hopefully be deemed by a structural engineer as in a state of disrepair,” Mr Behrendt said.
“It’s the complete opposite of doing a building and pest inspection where you want the property to be a good condition.”
Mr Behrendt said he learned his lesson when he recently managed the sale of a 100-year-old Queenslander.
He said that property would also have been worth more as cleared land – but that the house couldn’t be knocked down because it wasn’t in bad enough condition.
The Dutton Park property has been in the same family since the 1950s. It’s been vacant for nine years and has been a deceased estate for the past year.
Mr Behrendt became an agent in March 2014 after spending 12 years at Village Roadshow and another 11 years as a builder.
His marketing campaign has earned him mainstream media coverage and social media traffic.
This isn’t the first time this year that Mr Behrendt has generated mainstream exposure; he also gained free publicity for a Valentine’s Day campaign he ran for a 94-year-old property.
Mr Behrendt told REB that he chose a tagline of "94-year-old seeks new love" because the first open home was held on 14 February.
Buyers were given roses and also a Valentine’s Day card that had been 'written' by the home.
“I got massive support in the local paper and Courier Mail just from buying a $70 bunch of roses,” he said.
[LinkedIn: Describe your most successful marketing campaign]
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