The Publisher’s Page – Over the years I have come to know a lot of Realtors who specialize in certain kinds of properties.
They focus on condos, waterfront homes or farms. A few years ago I came across a wonderful fellow who specialized in bed and breakfast houses across the country.
For many of these Realtors, their specialty is a passion that they enthusiastically share with buyers and sellers. It is what makes them successful.
There are other Realtors who dedicate themselves to certain neighbourhoods, and in some cases, one specific street. For these Realtors, the motivation is a romance for a certain area or place. It is what makes them successful as well.
This kind of passion or romance solidifies my belief that many houses are purchased with an emotion that is just as important as the mechanics of the house or the financial benefits of the purchase.
The other day I was thinking about the emotional attachment some people have with houses they grew up in or spent time in during their lives. Notwithstanding the fact that lots of people do not have good memories of growing up or time spent in certain places, I think there are many people who do.
How often have we heard people say, “I’d love to go back to the old neighbourhood” or “If I ever found out that old house is for sale, I’d buy it in a minute”? I have heard that more than once over the years.
So this wild idea occurred to me. What if somebody specialized in properties that middle aged or older folks grew up in? What if somebody specialized in, well, nostalgia?
I am not clever with technology or software systems, but what if somebody could come up with a registry of wanted homes, and then contacted people if they ever came up for sale?
Suppose a client always dreamed about living in that gorgeous house that they used to walk past all the time when they were young, and promised themselves that one day they would buy it? If they don’t live around there anymore, they wouldn’t know if it ever came up for sale.
What if they could register an address with a Realtor who had the technology to create a system that would notify them when it came up for sale? That would be a way to bring a willing buyer.
I suppose it’s a pretty wild idea. But if anybody does come up with that kind of system, please pass my name along. I have an address I’d like to register.
Heino Molls is publisher of REM.
By: Heino Molls
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