And the Most Outrageously Creative Open House Award Goes to … Mermaids & Margaritas With Mikey Abrams

July 19, 2025 | Brenda Masse | | Open Houses

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In case you didn’t know there was a contest brewing, neither did we. But it’s summer, and as we’ve discussed, realtors are getting creative with their marketing strategies because things are getting a little weird out there in the market, y’all. And when I recently got invited to an open house for a fabulous home in Oak Cliff with the equally fabulous theme of “Mermaids and Margaritas,” I told my colleagues that I thought I would head down and post live with a mermaid.

“I think that wins the award for Most Outrageously Creative Open House, taking over from Clay Stapp’s Naked Sushi party,” said Candy.

What’s that now?

We were all quite curious to hear about Clay Stapp’s Naked Sushi party, particularly whether there were any pictures from said party. It took some searching, but I found them. It turns out that the Naked Sushi party was an open house a la “Sex in the City,” with a nude model serving as the buffet, as it were. There were also several scantily clad male models in attendance (servers, perhaps?).

Anyway, it was certainly well attended, well done, and one to remember. When I mentioned the angle to Mikey Abrams’ team, I think they got a little stressed. “Can we talk about naked sushi?” was almost everyone’s comment to me when I arrived at Mermaids & Margaritas, with many a furrowed brow. They were clearly concerned about what I might be expecting the mermaid to do.

Photography from Mermaids & Margaritas event by Eric Klein.

“We’re really just talking about creative marketing,” I reassured everyone. And this to-do couldn’t have been more perfect. The lovely Craftsman-style home at 1110 Haines Ave. in Dallas is tucked away on a lush street that just screams “friendly neighborhood block party.” It’s perfection inside, but this was truly the best way to showcase the home because when you step outside to the back patio you literally gasp because the backyard pool area is so unexpectedly and amazingly otherworldly.

It’s so much bigger back there than you’d imagine, and they’ve created a true oasis with a wall of bamboo surrounding the pool. I hesitate to use the word “oasis” because it’s so over-used, but it’s a literal oasis.

The back patio and pool were so beautiful. It was 182 degrees outside, and even though there was a lovely air-conditioned home perfect for entertaining just inside, everyone was gathered outside the whole time, and the bamboo around the pool actually served to lower the temperature several degrees. The landscaping was divine and made you want to pose for pictures endlessly. Which we did.

Abrams, his team, and their sponsors from Synergy One Lending (who are local to the area) have a way of effortlessly drawing clients into their circle, hearing their stories and getting to know them as friends and neighbors — it’s really quite inspiring to watch. There’s not as much in-and-out at his events. People stay a while and experience the home, and you hear them calling a friend and saying, “Hey, come check out this house.” The neighbors come by, and if they know anyone who’s looking they call their friends. It’s different, but it works.