NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville's red hot housing market is forcing some potential buyers to get creative in order to land their dream homes.
Nathan Rock dreamed of buying his first home in East Nashville, and hired Realtor Zelda Sheldon to help. After making offers on several homes and coming up empty handed, Sheldon decided they needed to do something to set Rock apart from other potential buyers.
She drafted a letter that she dropped off at 1,000 homes in East Nashville neighborhoods. It read, “Can you help our client?” and it went on to describe Rock as a “recently graduated doctor,” who is “fully qualified” and can “close in 28 days.”
Sheldon said she hoped by sharing a little about Rock, he would stand out from the others interested in homes in the competitive neighborhood.
“We covered the whole area that was his sweet spot,” said Sheldon. “For a buyer, it’s all about getting there first and getting there before the rest. This letter helps that.”
“I thought she was joking at first,” said Rock. “I had a friend who did a similar approach and found a house in Franklin, so I figured, let’s give it a try.”
Sheldon said it worked. Twelve people came forward with homes they wanted them to consider. She also got two new listings out of the deal.
Cindy Stanton, President of the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Inc., described the Nashville housing market as “very exciting.” However, since it is classified as a sellers market, she said anything than can set buyers apart can make a difference.
“It’s a great idea,” said Stanton. “A lot of sellers want to know who is buying their home, and who that next family or person looks like, and what their story is.”
Sheldon was happy to report Rock did find a home, and he is excited to begin the next chapter as a homeowner. She said she just wanted to help her client, but would consider using the same approach again.
“It was just guerrilla marketing, but I am still getting calls,” said Sheldon.
The Greater Nashville Association of Realtors reported there were 3,804 homes sold in the month of June. That figure is up 14.4 percent compared to the 3,324 closings reported for June 2014.
