Broker Identifies Marketing 'Blind Spot'

Austin, Texas, real estate broker Stan Barron reached $15 million to $20 million a year in sales in part by specializing in new homes that haven’t moved.

“Builders who do a great job in construction often have a blind spot when it comes to marketing,” he says, adding that they try to sell dry statistics such as “four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths” or SEER ratings. “Those things have almost zero cachet with buyers.”

Barron says the key is to create a story around a home’s unique features. On www.stanbarronproperties.com, he touted a property with an oversize shower by asking: “When was the last time you took a shower with your sweetie?”

“It’s really about emotion,” Barron says.

Barron recently sold a furnished new home that hadn’t moved for a year. It has a tiny back yard, so he advertised a “Tempting buy in Tarrytown — with one drawback.” Eight days later, an elderly woman seeking a low-maintenance home in that neighborhood bought the house.

Visit Barron’s Web site for more examples.