For The Sake of House Porn: This is How We Choose Luxury Properties

Although the market has cooled slightly, there are still plenty of buyers looking for homes, and guess what? There are still plenty of homes out there. They are sitting because they are not properly prepared for those buyers. And if buyers are not interested because the homes lack updates and staging, then neither am I.

I’m just being totally honest here. I want to show you homes that are inspiring, interesting, and beautiful. When a house appears on CandysDirt.com you can bet an appropriate and wide audience is going to see it. So, if you want your listing featured, read my words of wisdom from my January column that will be relevant forever!

Realtors continually ask me, ”How do I get my property featured as a Monday Morning Millionaire.”  I also frequently hear, “Do I have to pay to get in?” 

Since we are kicking off 2021, I thought I’d tell you!

Editorial vs. Sponsored

We have a lot of autonomy at CandysDirt.com, and each editorial feature, regardless of category, is selected by the writer. To maintain the integrity of our editorial side of the website, no one can pay for an editorial feature. 

Of course, if you want to have a property showcased, which we do almost every day, we will be delighted to create a tailored, brand-forward post for you as part of our sponsored content offerings. We have parameters for sponsored content, so it does have to meet specific internal standards. 

Having each writer select their editorial features not only maintains our brand integrity, it means we are genuinely passionate about what we write. 

We get excited about the homes, and we spend a great deal of time researching and interviewing people connected to them. It makes for great reading because it’s authentic.

Let’s get back to how to be featured on Monday Morning Millionaire. The Metroplex has a lot of gorgeous luxury homes. Often it’s hard to choose, so I’ve had to set some pretty high standards. 

How do we find listings to feature?

Unless I’ve been given a hot tip on an upcoming listing, which I LOVE, I generally begin my search at $2.5 million. That’s not to say I won’t feature a million-dollar property. But you have to start somewhere!

We typically search for featured editorial listings on Realtor.com because is the most straightforward website with the most up-to-date data. 

I start my search in Dallas first, then moving to Fort Worth and then other surrounding areas. I filter out pending and contingent homes. Then I get my results. Sometimes, like today, it’s 96 homes. Sometimes it’s more, and often it’s less. Invariably, I’ve written about most of them because I stay on top of luxury homes. 

I sort by price first, then newest listings.

Here’s a hot tip: Use Instagram. I cannot tell you how often I find something there that has not hit MLS, which I LOVE. If you are not social media savvy, call us. We can help.

Let me be brutally honest. 

If it’s empty, it does not make the cut. No one, absolutely no one, wants to see a vacant luxury home. No one. Ever. No, not even that person.

With so many great stagers in the Metroplex, what’s the deal? Staging is a fraction of the cost of selling a luxury home. 

Next, I look at the house. 

If it has terrible photography, I don’t go past the first image. Again, with so many talented photographers here,  pay the money, honey. Do you think buyers will seriously consider it if I won’t?

Weird paint colors or neglected landscaping mean a hard pass. Is the backyard photo first? That means it’s the best part. If the next three photos are exterior shots, I won’t bother to proceed because that tells me the interior sucks. 

Yes, I said that.

If it has dated features and especially furniture, it’s also a hard pass. There are times you need to empty a house and have it professionally staged because transitional luxury staging can update a tired property and distract the eye from objections like nothing else.

Those are the basic requirements of a Monday Morning Millionaire.

Bonus Points

What I especially like is a property that has historical provenance, was built by a notable architect or is brilliant new construction. By that I do not mean the proverbial white box. Some builders in town are really raising the bar. Everyone needs to take note and follow suit, in my opinion. 

If a property has a celebrity associated with it or a terrific story, that’s also going to pique my interest and be on the shortlist for a Monday Morning Millionaire.

If all else fails, and I’m entirely uninspired locally, I cast a wider net and look at Austin or Houston or anywhere in Texas, a luxury property will pop up. And yes, ranches, lakes, and mountain properties are always in the mix.

What do you want out of a Monday Morning Millionaire? 

It’s not an MLS description or purple prose listing romance. You want storytelling, perhaps to learn something, maybe a bit of an adventure, but certainly something new and exciting. That’s what I try to provide each week, and I guarantee you it’s not easy. 

But I do love it!