There is a bigger story in this — I hope to write it soon — but even though the market is heating up, supposedly, Realtors are becoming increasingly creative in their efforts to sell properties.
Earlier this week, Thomas Netzel at Premier Sotheby's brought in a French chef to his Country Club Shores waterfront listing — a $3.5 million house with French decor inside. He called the event the "French Connection." Top agents gasped at the 1,600-bottle wine-storage armoire, crafted from a single black walnut tree.
Then there was the auction held a couple of months ago to promote Carol Clark's listing of the DeVita ranch in Venice, and Joel Schemmel's architectural competition for his $12.9 million property in Indian Beach (see story on this page.)
Not to be outdone by these Premier Sotheby's agents, Michael Saunders & Co.'s Nora Johnson and Klaus Lang put together a tour of luxury listings in Sarasota's Museum District on Thursday.
"This is the neighborhood of choice for John and Mable Ringling," said Johnson, tending a $5.5million listing in Sapphire Shores that is pictured below. "They could have chosen to live anywhere in Sarasota."
Indeed, the world.
Johnson and Lang have published a website, SarasotaHomesNearRingling.com, to "highlight properties in the area and bring to the attention of buyers and agents the many advantages in living there," said Johnson.
Apparently, the Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores neighborhood, which contains some of the largest and most lushly treed residential estates in the area, is not "top of mind" with luxury buyers, she said. It is just minutes to downtown, the Asolo Theater and the airport. Big water views, too.
Netzel said such marketing efforts are not necessarily out of desperation, though.
"We are translating consumer confidence into Realtor confidence," he said, and agents are willing spend money and be creative to market clients' homes.
