Should Realtors Drive Fancy Cars? If So, It’s Officially Porsche Month

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Do you know one successful agent who drives a run-down (read: crappy) car? I don’t. One of the top condo agents at a large local brokerage just bought herself a gleaming Rolls Royce — yeah more power to her, I say! Cars are not just a mode of transportation for an agent, they are a branding statement. Are you successful enough to afford a nice car? In real estate sales, image is so important. There is probably no other occupation in the world that relies on the condition and make of your car more than Real Estate. This story ran recently in Inman:

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“I was shocked a few months ago when a past customer emailed me and told me they were going to list their house but not with me because my car was too dumpy to be carrying customers in (2007 Accord),” said Andrea Hatton.

That was a post in a discussion on the Facebook group Raise the Bar in Real Estate, where participants debated whether real estate agents should or should not drive flashy cars.

Real estate agents put in a lot of miles on the road, and the car they emerge from to shake hands with new prospects or use to ferry buyers from listing to listing may influence how they are perceived by potential clients.

Some argue that agents should drive upscale cars to project success. Others caution that broadcasting wealth can alienate some prospects, and even prompt them to seek a discount. And then there’s the just-be-you camp: They think an agent’s car doesn’t count for squat.

“This business is very image-oriented in my opinion and you attract what you project,” said David Fresquez, one of many who, in a recent discussion on the Facebook group Raise the Bar in Real Estate, contended that driving a top-shelf car can earn you points.

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An agents’ car is as important as his or her appearance. Show me a messy agents’ car, and I will walk away thinking, “‘she’s a mess. Do I really want HER to find me a home?” Ebby Halliday training school even teaches agents how to keep their cars neat and clean, and the importance of it.

Neat-nik agents say the secret to keeping your car clean and tidy is picking it up every night.

According to the Inman story, the the best car for an agent depends on their market, the car culture in their community, and what types of buyers and sellers they want to attract, taking care not to offend any one group:

“If you are working with distressed clients and drive an Escalade, it could affect your credibility with them,” said Mary Jo Quay.

But, she added, “If you are working upper-bracket clients, driving a beater shows that [you] either take Warren Buffet very seriously or that you can’t afford a better car.”

In Detroit, only drive U.S. made cars (if any are really still made there) and certainly sporty SUV’s or trucks if you sell ranch properties. That Rolls Royce or a Bentley would not raise an eyebrow downtown, in Highland Park, Preston Hollow or Plano. Might be a little overkill for Sherman.

“Not as often as we used to, but as recently as two years ago we have lost high $$$$ listings because we did not pull up in a domestic,” said Brandon Kekich.

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Park Place Porsche in Dallas was recently named one of only six Porsche Exclusive Flagship Dealers in the country. To celebrate, Park Place invited more than 450 guests to a unique event September 10 to experience the limitless options now available to configure their own amazing vehicle in the new Porsche Exclusive Design Center.

Guess who was there? Faisal Halum and Grant Vancleve, both of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty. Faisal told me he was designing his new car — he drives a Cayenne — that very night! Ryan Streiff at Dave Perry-Miller has a Cayenne. Luxury auto sales are up in DFW, and car salesmen tell me Realtors are some of their very best customers. In 2014, Dallas auto sales were up by 18%:

Luxury cars posted much smaller numbers, with Aston Martin, Ferrari and Rolls Royce at 2 sales each and Lamborghini at 4. However, Porsche sold 115 vehicles in March (2014).

 

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“There’s an infinite number of possibilities to customize your Porsche,” said Patrick Huston, general manager of Park Place Porsche. “Whether you’re looking to create a distinctive 911 Turbo, Boxster, Cayenne, Panamera, Cayman or Macan, you’ll discover a level of customization never before possible. You can sit down in our Design Center and select a wide range of options. Then you see the changes on the computer screen to determine how those choices work together. We also have paint, leather, trim, and parts samples in-house where you can touch and feel them.”

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Guests who configured a Porsche at the September 10 event were entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $13,000 exclusive Chopard Porsche 919 Edition watch from Bachendorf’s. Ron Witten of University Park won the drawing, lucky stiff. Lombardi’s provided flatbreads. Reyka Vodka and Kendrick’s Gin offered a “create your own martini” bar: Classic, Dry, Sweet or Dirty. (Or whatever.) The Lou Lou Ladies Lounge featured unique clothing and accessories so a lady could create her own look — after all, gals like Porches, too! Jo Malone London fragrances, one of my personal faves, demonstrated how to create your own personal scent, her signature. The Ladies Lounge also offered refreshing Solerno Fizz Cocktails.

Over in the The Men’s Lounge, luxury was telling time as watches from Bachendorf’s were showcased. Origins skincare, chair massages, a Hudson Bourbon bar, as well as Krombacher beer and hand-rolled cigars were available.

Assembly line be damned! Henry Ford was not just rolling in his grave, he was shouting!

We market homes this way, why not luxury cars? For design inspiration, there were two Porsche Exclusive cars on the showroom floor: a 2016 Panamera and a 2015 911 Turbo S with many unique features and a $300,000 price tag. Park Place “sales experience managers” (no longer car salesmen) roamed the floor with electronic tablets to help guests configure their own dream car. The days of the hard-driving car salesman with a pencil behind his year? Gone with the Oldsmobile.

Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employ more than 2,100 people and operate 18 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Infiniti, Volvo, smart, Jaguar, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati.

Anyhow, I’ve been driving a Porsche this month for reactions. The Cayenne is my dream, and the new deep blue color got a LOT of attention. It seems like the Cayenne is the official car of Preston Hollow sometimes. But the Panamera, which I have now, is truly a piece of art. It’s actually hard to get much done driving it because everyone stopped to tell me how beautiful it is, including a Dallas police officer..

If a sexy Panamera can make an old broad feel sleek and sexy, imagine what it can do for Real Estate sales!

 

 

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Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

1 Comment

  1. Mike on September 30, 2015 at 10:11 am

    I would never hire a realtor with a 2007 Accord, or any car that is messy.

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