Fat, Happy, and Condo-Hopping: Creative Open Houses

With the real estate market still tight, even in resilient places like San Francisco, realtors are having to get creative to lure buyers. This is how I think it should be. A few years ago, real estate become too easy for everyone involved. Buyers bought too easily, sellers sold too easily, and realtors made huge commissions just for showing up. I’m not celebrating the real estate downturn by any means, but I like the idea that we’re returning to a time when there was an art to making a sale, when the great properties and agents were separated from the mediocre.

As an example of the sort of high-caliber sales technique needed to make a sale, I attended a free Argentine-style asado (bbq) yesterday co-hosted by Zipcar and a new Mission District condo development at 555 Bartlett. When M and I emerged into the condo’s gorgeous, sunny courtyard I knew this was no bait-and-switch rush job.

Elevated courtyard. Can you believe this grassy meadow is in the middle of the city?

Potential buyers and current owners were soaking in the gorgeous weather and enjoying large platefuls of amazing Argentine food served up by Primo’s Parrilla, purveyor of “Slow Grilled Argentine Asado”. I’m going to digress for a moment here. It’s hard to describe how amazing Argentine asado is, but you’ll have to trust me that it’s better than any American BBQ you’ve had. And this stuff was authentic–it even necessitated an afternoon nap, just like the ones I had to take daily while I was in Agrentina. Check out Primo’s truck in Oakland if you want a taste of heaven. Or better yet, get your butt down to Buenos Aires; I have the perfect place for you to live! (Second digression: Why does the best food always seem to come from the back of a truck?)

Asado heaven

This gorgeous afternoon was the result of some careful and creative marketing. The event certainly raised the real estate bar a couple notches. The hosts of this delicious meal–Zipcar, 555 Bartlett, and Primo’s Parilla–realized that their target markets overlap. I’m the perfect case in point: I’ve traveled to Argentina and love the food, I am a yuppie in SF who uses Zipcar in place of owning a vehicle (anything to avoid having to park!), and I’m on a neverending quest to own real estate. Get me to your condo building, feed me good food, give me a coupon for Zipcar and you’ve got one very happy customer.

After we were full of steak and beer, M and I toured a couple model condos at 555 Bartlett. Fat and happy, we were inclined to sign nearly anything, but luckily we could see the place was not for us. Not enough texture and history. Plus, as “indoor people,” that grassy meadow didn’t provide nearly enough shade.

A model condo. Nice, but not inspiring.

I’m curious to see what other creative sales techniques realtors are using – I’m talking about stuff above and beyond finger foods. Have any of you experienced an impressive real estate sales pitch?