Magical Misery Tour: Foreclosure Bus Tours


When you get lemons, make lemonade.

Innovative professionals are using the currently dismal housing market to market creatively. Added Value Realty in Michigan takes people looking to invest in foreclosure property on a guided bus tour. Cesar Dias, a real estate broker and native of Stockton, California is doing the same for consumers in his market with his Repo Home Tour– he fills two brightly colored 18-seat buses with prospective buyers to visit foreclosure property. Think Creativity. Make Lemonade.

What’s also interesting is the creative use of video to promote the realtor’s marketing technique. It’s not slick but it made mainstream media news. Cesar made the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune, among others. And that’s good for business, youbetchya.

Another lesson here. Folks called Dias’ free bus tours a “tasteless gimmick” and pooh-poohed it. Cesar closed the deals. Don’t listen to the naysayers.

via mjmprop.

Further Reading/Listening:

Stockton agent offering foreclosure bus tours. (Recordnet)
NPR coverage.

7 Responses to “Magical Misery Tour: Foreclosure Bus Tours”


  1. 1 Kristal Kraft Jan 29th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

    Very innovative and creative. I love the idea and just might see if we can duplicate it! Thanks for the info guys…

  2. 2 sellsius Jan 30th, 2008 at 12:07 am

    If you do, let us know how it goes Kristal. And take some video and send it to the local media– and us.

  3. 3 Kristal Kraft Jan 30th, 2008 at 1:24 am

    You’re on Sellsius! The only way we are going to get these props gone is to sell them!

  4. 4 sellsius Jan 30th, 2008 at 1:51 pm

    :)

  5. 5 Richard Geller Feb 17th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    we had maps to stars homes in Los Angeles, and maps to spy’s deadrops in Virginia, why not maps to foreclosure houses and maps to mortgage short sales?

    Great concept!

    –Richard

  6. 6 Shaun G Feb 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 am

    Sweet, it is great to see inovative people adjust to the changing market conditions. I wish we had a bus in my home town!

  1. 1 recordnet Pingback on May 17th, 2008 at 11:20 am

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