Have Realtors Gone Too Far With Branding? Houston Agent Markets, Publicizes House Filled With Poop… (but Just Wait for the Encore!)

 

Sometimes I think we are getting a little out of control with this whole self-branding, attention-seeking, shock-and-awe video production movement. It’s like the Donald Trump-e-tizing of Real Estate. I know there is a huge push to get more listing videos out, and I know every Realtor in the country is dying trying to find a way to set themselves apart from the masses. It’s the main topic at every single marketing seminar, right?

And then I meet someone like Houston agent Paul Gomberg who is doing something very right. He has his schtick down. Frankly, I think he’s a genius.

“My thing is just treat people like a rock star and give them an experience in during their real estate period of buying or selling that they are always going to remember, which keeps them coming back for more,” said Gomberg, a Realtor with Keller Williams in Houston.

Paul says he uses limousines to treat people “like a rock star.” Of course, the limo gimmick is as old as the hills: the grand dame of Houston real estate, Martha Turner, told us at NAREE last June, in Miami, that she always picks up clients in limos because that way she can focus on the client and talking, not driving. Martha lists bazilllion dollar homes and counts multi-million dollar buyers as her clients.

But I know one set of Paul’s clients who did NOT get the rock star treatment. And frankly, the way Gomberg listed, and then publicized, and now may have sold what he calls the “filthiest home in Houston” is quite clever. The video is actually pretty funny as he wipes his feet on walls. (Can you guess what’s on them?) Loaded with an obvious over-abundance of dogs and other pets, including a pot belly pig, the house was a filth pit and needs a blow torch to clean it. Hopefully the clip won’t gross you out. This is also a sorry look at what happens to homes when psycho pet owners keep too many furry babies. I phoned Gomberg, a super guy, and asked for more “poop” the house (sorry!).

 

Shocker, it’s a short sale. Seems the home was purchased by the mother of the guy living in it. This guy’s wife is a serial animal rescuer who picks them up, brings them home, and then let’s them have the run of the house. The mother is now in a facility because she has Alzheimers, and the home at 5613 Willow Walk Street in Houston is under contract. It was listed for $125,000. I LOVE the way Gomberg writes his description of the listing:

This home needs some major TLC & repairs to bring it back to it’s former glory. 4/3.5/2 and has a pool & jetted area as well.Most items need repair or replacement.It was not maintained at all-a real fixer upper for sure.Foul stench of animals & their waste products permeates. The new price is reflective of lender ignorance. At this newly raised price point you are certain to be buried in this home for years.

“This new price is reflective of lender ignorance” — ha! By the way, Gomberg has been a Realtor since 1981.

But get this: the same owners who let this house go to the dogs just moved to ANOTHER house that Gomberg says is in even worse shape than Willow Walk.

And get this: at the new house, the dogs ate the pot-belly pig!

“Just wait for that story,” says Gomberg, adding the owners are several months behind in their house payments. The guy apparently quit his job and is no longer working. Kind of hard to make house payments when you don’t have a job.

“The next chapter is even worse!” he says.

Gomberg, who is licensed in Texas and says he can show homes in the Dallas area,  also dresses for his “role”: he usually wears a Rolling Stones shirt with blue jeans and Converse All-Stars, black leather jacket, hat and longish hair. According to his website, Paul is the front man for a Rock & Roll band called “Psycho Life.” He loves his new found star status:

“Two people came up to me and said, oh we saw your filthy house. That was so disgusting, can we have your autograph?” said Gomberg.

I would like his autograph too, because a guy who survives listing House of Poop sure deserves it. Only, I want to make sure he has washed his hands well, first.

Ew. Have you ever seen a listing this challenging?