People Online Are Going To Pieces Reading This Sarcastically Honest Listing Of A 2-Story House In Iowa
Interview With Author
When you are looking for a property to buy or rent, there are a lot of things you need to consider. But most often the photos are the thing that draws your eyes first. The appearance of a house or apartment may be a deal breaker for many.
So property owners and real estate agents have to get creative when they realize that the photos will not attract any buyers or renters. They then rely on the descriptions to highlight the advantages of a place to outweigh the disadvantages seen in the photos. One of those descriptions caught people’s attention because it was so honest and sarcastic that they couldn’t get mad at it.
Real estate agent Laura Grimm Bailey shared a listing on her Facebook that is not your typical house description
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
The house in question is located in Keokuk, in south Iowa. Its size is 1800 square feet (about 167 square meters) and it stands on a 3,920-square-foot property (364 square meters).
As can be seen in the pictures, it is a 2-story house of a lovely soft green color completed with an asphalt shingle roof. Inside you will find a basement, then on the first floor there is a family room, a kitchen with a dining room and a bathroom. On the second floor you find all three of the bedrooms.
The author of the description listed all the important things that you should know: it’s a two-story, 1,746-square-foot and 3-bedroom house
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Right now it is estimated that the value of the property is $67,000, but it is being sold for $25,000, so it is quite a deal. Especially having in mind that when it was first listed, the owners were asking $30,000 for it.
All of these specifications are really useful for a person that is seriously interested in the property, but what really captured people’s attention was the witty, funny and really sarcastic introduction. The real estate agent Laura made all the shortcomings of the building seem like they are the features of the house and it is supposed to be that way.
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
But then she listed all the flaws that are quite obvious from the photos and presented them with a twist
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Bored Panda got in touch with the real estate agent who wrote the listing and we got to know that she is 45- year-old mom to 4 children, twice widowed and a formr barber. We also learnt about the origins of the humorous listing.
Turns out, that she grew up in a big family with 6 siblings and they weren’t that wealthy. Laura told us, “Many times we would go without utilities growing up. During those times, my oldest brother Kenny would sit us all down and record us on a portable cassette player. We would create stories, alter our voices, and turn ourselves into characters with different names. During those years of growing up, our comedy tapes became quite popular with the neighborhood kids, so we just kept making them. That’s where the humor in this listing stemmed from.”
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
The real estate agent revealed to us that the house wasn;t getting the attention the owner was expecting with only one view after 10 days, so she decided that she needs to change the wording she usually uses as it was obviously not working in this case. Laura said that she sometimes uses reverse psychology on her children and it often works and that is why she “thought she would use that technique in her listing and throw humor in it so it wouldn’t sound so bad to the viewing audience.”
Her logic was that “If the good things about the home are not selling it, then I will highlight the bad.” Laura never thought that it would work so well and would help to reach so many people. And she was contacted by various people from “someone offering her their grandpas favorite wrench they inherited, to someone offering their lighter to burn the property down, to full price offers and everything in between.” However, the property is still available as no deal was made yet.
Laura used sarcasm and irony to make it seem like those flaws are the features of the house and that it would be a blast living there
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Even though Laura’s description sounds sarcastic, she truly believes that the house is a true gem and could be a wonderful home for someone. She says, “A person who knows where to spend a dollar to bring the most value out of the property will find this property to be a good deal.”
The real estate agent explains why no one has grabbed the house yet: “The location is what may deter buyers as well, as it is located in the south eastern corner of the state with a smaller sized population.”
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
But according to her, the house itself is great: “The home has good bones. The original builder spent extra money when building it and added personal touches only you can create if you spent the extra dollar back in 1920. A lot of the originality and character is still intact that show these finish touches I was describing like the exterior columns that support the porch to the front entry. The double sided entry to the staircase is a dead giveaway as well as the original hardwood floors.”
Laura compares this house to others she has seen: “I worked in the residential appraisal side of real estate before becoming an agent so I have had the opportunity to view a lot of homes of this era and in comparison, this home can be just as valuable and beautiful as the rest of them when repaired.”
The house is quite old so it has leaking pipes, creaky floors, no windows and a creepy vibe
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Usually, people who make the listings, whether they are the owners, or real estate agents, try to highlight the good things about the thing they are selling and only brush through the not-so-good parts. It is understandable as they would like to sell or rent out a property as quickly as possible.
However, the real estate agent Laura decided to take a different approach. She took all the flaws and made it sound like living in the house would be like an adventure, because when you sleep at night, you will feel like you’re living by the sea as the pipes leak and create a wonderful calming sound of waves.
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
It’s no matter that there is no glass in the windows—it will actually serve as a cooling system. What is really cool is the creepy vibes reminiscent of a horror movie with all the creaky wooden floors, the exterior falling apart, and wild and unkempt weeds.
And this was the first time that Laura used humour in her listings but seeing the success it has received she is considering to use this approach more often. She explains that these kinds of things have o be discussed with the owners and if the seller would allow her to be creative, she will not stop with this listing.
However, Laura turned all these shortcomings to positive things that would create a wonderful experience of living there
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
Image credits: Laura Grimm Bailey
The listing is quite a masterpiece, but what did you think of it when you first read it? Do you think that this is unprofessional or you would consider it to be a great marketing tactic? Maybe you have already seen something similar and would like to share it? Leave all of your reactions in the comments and let us know of anything similar you’ve seen!
Also, if you would liked Laura’s sense of humour, you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram or her real estate company’s Facebook account to watch out for future listings with a twist.
Here are some of the reactions that people had when they read the Facebook post
Back in the '90s, I was riding through the Scottish highlands, when I passed a field with a remains of an old cottage. I t was literally about a foot or so of three stone walls and a bit more of a pile where the fireplace and chimney has been. The "For Sale" sign said "Great renovation project"!
We bought one of those, 1740 croft house. It did have a roof (rubbered carboard), and cold water piped in. Pure luxury.
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Seriously? I really am in awe of people with your skills. How look would it take you, and what would it cost?
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It definitely has character and beauty. Wrong location for myself but 100% a fixer upper.
What kind of real estate agent takes pictures like that? Tell your clients to clean it up or you're not taking it on. Or get a broom and do it yourself. This is just lazy.
No they don't do it themselves, it is the house of the owners and they want it sold. I can't believe people would leave behind such a mess. Indeed, a broom, a few hours work (and a dumpster) and it looks way better.
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That house looks great! I'd buy it. Good roof, good floors, good walls. A little dirty but manageable. It looks like a steal to me. Sure, it needs some siding work and some windows but that's not a huge deal. A couple of teenagers and 2 weeks and it would be showroom quality.
In the San Francisco Bay Area that would sell for $1,000,000 in a heartbeat.
Horror movie parents be like: It's Perfect! and the girl with the long black hair in the corner is such a nice touch!
The stairs are so pretty! So are the wood floors. What a shame it will more likely be torn down. Too much of it is too far gone.
Found A Typo "Bored Panda got in touch with the real estate agent who wrote the listing and we got to know that she is 45- year-old mom to 4 children, twice widowed and a >>>>>formr<<<<<< barber. We also learnt about the origins of the humorous listing."
Yes I want to know how the churches turned houses came to be that is my new Zillow hobby. It is crazy some of them you will see in there.
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I just bought a fixer-upper in a similar condition, but at least they removed all rubbish. It's mostly bare concrete now. Just one major leak. Yay!
Back in the '90s, I was riding through the Scottish highlands, when I passed a field with a remains of an old cottage. I t was literally about a foot or so of three stone walls and a bit more of a pile where the fireplace and chimney has been. The "For Sale" sign said "Great renovation project"!
We bought one of those, 1740 croft house. It did have a roof (rubbered carboard), and cold water piped in. Pure luxury.
Load More Replies... Seriously? I really am in awe of people with your skills. How look would it take you, and what would it cost?
Load More Replies... It definitely has character and beauty. Wrong location for myself but 100% a fixer upper.
What kind of real estate agent takes pictures like that? Tell your clients to clean it up or you're not taking it on. Or get a broom and do it yourself. This is just lazy.
No they don't do it themselves, it is the house of the owners and they want it sold. I can't believe people would leave behind such a mess. Indeed, a broom, a few hours work (and a dumpster) and it looks way better.
Load More Replies... That house looks great! I'd buy it. Good roof, good floors, good walls. A little dirty but manageable. It looks like a steal to me. Sure, it needs some siding work and some windows but that's not a huge deal. A couple of teenagers and 2 weeks and it would be showroom quality.
In the San Francisco Bay Area that would sell for $1,000,000 in a heartbeat.
Horror movie parents be like: It's Perfect! and the girl with the long black hair in the corner is such a nice touch!
The stairs are so pretty! So are the wood floors. What a shame it will more likely be torn down. Too much of it is too far gone.
Found A Typo "Bored Panda got in touch with the real estate agent who wrote the listing and we got to know that she is 45- year-old mom to 4 children, twice widowed and a >>>>>formr<<<<<< barber. We also learnt about the origins of the humorous listing."
Yes I want to know how the churches turned houses came to be that is my new Zillow hobby. It is crazy some of them you will see in there.
Load More Replies... I just bought a fixer-upper in a similar condition, but at least they removed all rubbish. It's mostly bare concrete now. Just one major leak. Yay!
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