Does Sex Sell Real Estate?

                                                                                         

An agent in Orlando created a video that featured barely-clad models and uploaded the video on YouTube. He was told by his broker to remove the video or resign from the company. The video remains and the agent is now working for another real estate firm.

A luxury condominium developer markets condos with an ad featuring a man looking up, presumably at the woman whose spread legs are the only thing we can see, along with the backs of her high heels. The caption reads “Wide Open Views”.

Sex has been used to sell just about everything, from toilet paper to coffee. We rarely see it in real estate. This may be why sex in real estate advertising provokes more commentary than, say, sexy images being used to sell cars.

Agents realize that they are not so much selling the home as they are selling the lifestyle that comes with the “beautiful views” and “durable hardwood flooring” so maybe adding a dollop of sex into that mix can spice it up enough to make people who are after the glamorous image of the hot condo or modern loft pull out their checkbooks and reach for a pen.

There's no question that a sexy ad can pull eyes away from whatever else they are engaged with to focus on the mute promise – well maybe not of the models featured in the picture, but certainly of a life that is more exciting than what one was wading through today. Titillation plays a big part in using sex to market – wow, I'm not looking at the 19 year old model whose bosom is threatening to fall out of her bathing suit – I'm considering buying a luxury condo!

Objections to sexually-driven real estate marketing are many and varied. The image of a couple enjoying the privacy of their luxury condo is not likely to put a family in the mood for buying. A scantily-clad youth can draw the ire of people who question the objectification of people, especially women, in marketing. And, of course, there are those who view certain themes to be in very bad taste and will avoid anything marketed with them on principle.

There is also the question of whether sex actually is effective as ads with a little less skin and a little more elegance. While sex sells the same things that other images of wealth and control do, it triggers a lot more reaction, both positive and negative. A man and woman in formal, obviously expensive, dress amidst tasteful furnishings can create an image of the marketed lifestyle.

Sex is creeping into advertisements aimed at the young and upwardly-mobile – or those who wish they were. With a relaxation of strictures on the use of sex in advertising, the use of it to market real estate will become more common. However, those who take a dim view of sexy real estate ads still have cause to rejoice. Real estate will probably be comparatively free from sex-driven ads due to the fact that most real estate is, well, just not sexy.

About the author:
Find the latest Calgary AB real estate information, and see all Rocky Ridge homes for sale. Access photos, virtual tours of properties in the area, neighbourhood info, maps and more at JustinHavre.com.

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