Do Tiny Horses and Other Gimmicks Really Sell Houses Faster? By Realtor.com

Alisting in California's Ventura County just went viral—not for a slashed price or staging with Restoration Hardware, but for enlisting the help of Lemon, a therapy miniature horse.

“I’ve always had creative ideas, but for a long time I didn’t apply them in real estate,” says Lucy Oliveira, the listing agent behind the viral campaign. “After eight years in this business, I’ve noticed the industry can feel both fast-changing and yet very stagnant at the same time.”

Lemon’s adorable tour through an otherwise standard townhome—peeking into windows, checking out the sink height, exploring the fireplace—helped turn a regular listing into social media gold.

It also sparked a bigger question: In a housing market defined by buyer fatigue, seller frustration, and homes sitting longer than they used to—do creative antics like this actually help a home sell faster? Or are they just a fun distraction in a market that’s struggling to move?

Why agents turn to 'gimmicks'

A slowing market has given buyers more power, and this has increased the pressure on sellers and their agents to stand out. Some, like Oliveira, are experimenting with creative listing photos. Others are trying some inventive uses of seller's credits. 

But don’t call them gimmicks.

“I usually think of them as being less like ‘gimmicks’ and more like short-term amplifiers,” says Jacob Naig, a real estate agent and investor at We Buy Houses Des Moines.

Jules Carneiro, a luxury real estate adviser at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, used a $5,000 credit at closing to lure out-of-state buyers to see her $1,375,000 listing in Winter Park, FL.

“I’ve observed that there has been an increase in this type of incentive,” she says. “It’s an innovative way to attract potential buyers and demonstrates a commitment to going above and beyond for customers.”

And that amplification is becoming more important than ever. After 21 straight months of rising inventory, many listings are stagnating—especially in oversupplied metros in the South and West, according to Realtor.com® data.

At the same time, buyers remain sidelined by a double whammy of high home prices and even higher mortgage rates, with monthly costs up more than $1,200 since 2019. The result is what Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel calls a market “stuck in neutral,” where neither side has clear leverage.

In that kind of standoff, amplifiers of any kind can be a lifeline. They cut through the ennui of both buyers and sellers, make listings more memorable, and create opportunities for social media virality.

"Call Eli Torres at (832) 430-2107, for your home buying and selling needs."

Source: www.realtor.com