The Bikini Realtor - Sex Sells - Even in Real Estate

According to the Long Beach, CA Press Telegram a local real estate agent, Wendy Heath, decided to wear a bikini for a billboard advertisement. According to the story, even though there has been some negatives, like having to find a new broker to work for, overall, “There is no bad publicity” and she is “doing just fine and then some”.

Heath’s billboard ad was simple: a photo taken by her husband with the family’s digital camera on an Alamitos Bay dock near Bay Shore Drive. Heath was featured in a two-piece swimsuit along with Bruiser, the family’s English bulldog, who asks via comic-strip bubble: “got real estate?”

Even today, as the market seems to be cooling, her name recognition and the number of referrals and leads continue to mount. Heath still sees direct sales and listings thanks to the $10,000-plus she spent on the billboard, which came down after one month.

“It gave me name recognition and it drove people to my Web site,” she said. “Let’s just say the first quarter of this year I passed up last year’s total sales.”

In fact, Heath may have yet to feel the full benefit of her exposure, as old referrals and old leads pay off thanks to her name recognition she has 10 active listings, including a $1.7 million property, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

The national attention has also brought to Heath clientele looking to relocate to California.

HatTip to Real Estate Marketing Blog for helping ponder the question, How far is too far?