The housing market is dire, between skyrocketing home prices, limited inventory, stagnant wages, and mounting student debt. That’s tough for young buyers, but the numbers aren’t necessarily setting the stage for a straightforward career in real estate either.
In a tight market, you need creative solutions to carve out your niche. Perhaps this is why many real estate agents are taking such a unique approach to selling homes: acting completely unhinged online.
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Consider these virtual home tours.
Margie Marasco out of Naperville, Illinois, leads what you could call a “hardcore tour,” where the realtor’s intensity leads viewers through an energetic, albeit chaotic journey. She uses puns and rhymes throughout the viral video, such as, “I’m about to go on Zoom…in the bonus room.”
Trent Miller, a younger realtor in Pennsylvania and Maryland, developed a signature style: the speed tour, where he sprints through houses cracking jokes. It’s funny and fitting, too, as if he’s in a rush to sell the place and move on (aka, secure his next paycheck).
One realtor’s Gen Z employee had their own idea of a property walk-through: creating a video solely consisting of pre-takes. In the clip, Mike Hege, a Charlotte and Lake Norman, North Carolina realtor, gets into character, clears his throat, or fixes his hair. The awkward yet endearing video captured the hearts of many million viewers—but did little in actually showcasing the home, of course.
Brad the Realtor has dedicated his entire TikTok page to the modern realtor bit—and apparently, it’s working for him. He even teamed with our fav speed realtor, Miller, to appear at a marketing bootcamp. In light of today’s tragic housing market, he’s channeling his frustrations by filming aggressive home tours:
“This shit’s available now,” he says, standing in front of the home for sale. “Starting in the 500s, may as well just stop the video now…Can’t fucking afford it.”
The wacky real estate video genre has even spawned parodies: Aaron Goldenberg of the comedy duo “Mean Gays,” shared a one-off video leading homebuyers through a gorgeous property—but not without some disapproving glares and condescending one-liners. Nothing like some warm hospitality to welcome you into your new home. But don’t worry, as the “Mean Gays” point out in the video: you probably won’t be able to afford it, anyway.
When push comes to shove, we could all use a little more humor today—especially when inundated with countless Zillows that we’ll probably never buy. You might not be purchasing a new property anytime soon, but at least you can live vicariously through these unhinged virtual home tours—from the comfort of your criminally overpriced monthly apartment.
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Screenshots via leafandloafco on Instagram. -
Giant KitKat in Japan's Costco via LifeOfBD on YouTube. -
Photo by ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.