The chance to make an impression lasts a split second, and when it comes to justifying a home’s price, the history and lifestyle a property offers has more of an impact than the lot size or amenities.
There are a surprisingly large number of trophy homes available, and it’s fairly easy to list the features of a sprawling manse with a “sparkling” pool, a “stunning” designer kitchen and “breathtaking” views.
What makes a home truly collector-quality is the provenance and the lifestyle that conveys with it. When it’s time to search for a trophy home that is actually unique and worthy of attention, the number of listings shrinks drastically.
Marketing professionals at luxury-oriented brokerages understand that the story can generate the notion of scarcity and thus, a higher price point.
There’s a reason why brokerages like Sotheby’s and Christie’s publish glossy magazines. Targeting luxury buyers, sellers and agents is usually the goal; however, agents working in every segment of the market can benefit from the idea that history, lifestyle and atmosphere can be a difference-maker.
1. Provenance is a pricing lever, not a footnote
Most people do not know who designed their house. A select few have the luxury to care about the architect or provenance, but attention from this group can have a dramatic, outsized impact on a brokerage owner’s bottom line.
A Harry Gesner in Malibu, a John Lautner in Palm Springs, a Richard Neutra in Silver Lake or a Ray Kappe in Pacific Palisades will fetch a higher sale price compared to a larger home that is more generic. In addition, one listing of this caliber can make an agent’s entire career, as it is practically guaranteed to garner more attention from the media, future clients and colleagues.
2. The story is what matters
People are interested to hear about Crocodile Dundee’s former home, the residence I wrote about that was owned by Anthony Kiedis, the one where the writer of Footloose spent more than 40 years and collaborated with countless other stars, the oceanfront ranch that is adjacent to Brad Pitt’s house or Frank Sinatra’s desert retreat.
Fame is not a requirement for storytelling, however. For a custom “neo-Caribbean” I wrote about for Wrightsville Beach Magazine, the story centered on a variety of differentiating factors.
The wine room, for example, is illuminated by a chandelier made of crushed glass bottles that were consumed at the groundbreaking party. Similarly, the “barmoire” the owners had custom built always sparks conversation.
The details originated from conversations with the architect, the interior designer and the owners. Agents who are willing to do the research or find a person who can present the information get listings that other agents cannot match.
3. AI is great for making lists
Any model can pull the comps and list the details. Learning why an interior designer flew to New York three times on furniture runs and translating that into language a buyer actually cares about is an area where the technology lags.
Significantly, as the technology evolves, more listing copy will be generated automatically. This means that more attention will go to listing copy that reads like a human was in the room. Agents who write well or hire writers will have the potential to carve out a competitive advantage.
4. Sellers want narratives
A buyer can always skim the bullets. A seller writing a check for 2.5 percent of a transaction priced at $8 million may logically wonder about the agent’s value proposition.
A magazine-quality article is something a seller may send to their friends, and it’s a tangible item of value that shows the agent cared about their home. The flipside is that a careless description detracts from the agent’s reputation.
High-end sellers often have educated, high-earning friends. A strong narrative may not guarantee a referral, but a bad one is a reliable means of ensuring those clients never call you again.
5. Lifestyle is location with reporting
Any agent can mention the ZIP code and the school district. A writer explains what the location actually delivers: a dock that puts the owner on the water at dawn, a neighborhood where the annual Christmas tree was planted by the family three doors down, a sunset-facing porch that inspired the architect.
The facts are the same. What changes is whether an effort was made to create a compelling argument about those facts.
6. Good property writing is also the next listing
Can AI infuse a narrative with a cocktail of compelling puns that make the reader want to ingest further details about a property? Who knows, but consider the copy I wrote about the Villa Maggio compound where Frank Sinatra was personally instrumental in the design and build:
“There are many cool features, but one of the more unique would have to be the secret passage between two of the bedrooms. If the walls could talk, what stories would they tell? Wide overhanging eaves add to the cool factor, as they provide shade…”
That kind of “brilliance” keeps working after the sale closes, transforming into social content, newsletter material and proof of the effort. The brokerages that run their own magazines have already figured this out. The story of a house and its lifestyle serves as marketing for the next one.
7. The math works out
For a listing priced at $10 million, spending $1,000 on a writer amounts to a tiny fraction of the sale price. On a trophy home, an engaging description brings a higher price. That is not a marketing expense. That is underwriting the transaction.
Of course, the details still matter, and a buyer isn’t going to move forward without the key factors that impact the property.
However, with so much information readily available online, the sales pitch for creating a value proposition that is centered on the story and the lifestyle has never been stronger. It is a differentiator that discerning buyers and sellers respect, one the agents and brokerages who are positioned at the top of the market already understand.
Over two decades, Fritts Causby has written property descriptions and articles around commercial and luxury residential properties. Get connected on LinkedIn and Instagram.
