Melbourne: Offbeat bullfighter approach boosts home deal

BigginScott Glen Waverley director Ming Xu and agency partner Eric Liu dressed up as a bull and matador for a weekend auction, complete with fake weapons. Picture: Supplied.

An unusual advertising campaign for a Glen Waverley house that involved agents capering about in Spanish matador and bull costumes has paid off to the tune of $1.7m.

BigginScott director Ming Xu, along with agency partner Eric Liu, filmed a listing video while dressed up as the characters.

Inspired by the home’s Spanish Mission-style facade, the clip showed the bullfighter defeat the bull.

RELATED: Mulgrave: House that Liam Neeson helped to promote in Taken-esque clip sells

Sooshi Mango’s Joe Salanitri says ‘yasou’ to in-laws’ Mount Waverley home

Mount Waverley luxe designer home hits market

The colleagues once again donned the outfits at a weekend auction which saw the five-bedroom abode at 2 Callaghan Ave sell to a young couple, out of three bidders.

Mr Xu said that the house was placed on the market at a $1.65m bid.

And this was not his first time starring in a quirky campaign.

In February, he had the listing for a Mulgrave house owned by an assistant director’s family who know Hollywood actor Liam Neeson.

The Glen Waverley house’s Spanish Mission-style facade inspired the creative listing video.

Mr Liu gets into the spirit for the clip.

They recruited Neeson to do the voiceover for their home’s online clip, a tongue-in-cheek homage to the Taken films.

“I think creative marketing strategies help out in a number of ways including with social media videos that help to drive traffic to a property listing,” Mr Xu said.

“When buyers look at 20, 30 properties or more online, it will stand out in their mind.”

Plus, seeing two agents dressed up in costumes for Saturday’s auction helped to relax some nervous bidders, he noted.

The kitchen is fitted with stone-topped benches, an insinkerator, Electrolux oven, DeLonghi gas stove, Miele dishwasher and breakfast bench.

Mr Xu as “El Toro” aka the bull, in the listing video.

Closer to the city, a two-bedroom house at 1 Cremorne St, Fitzroy, was snapped up for $1.022m by a third-year university student whose mother helped him out financially and also with bidding on Saturday.

Nelson Alexander partner Mark Verrocchi said the underbidder was a Sydney-based investor.

“The auction started with a $900,000 vendor bid and it was on the market near the top of the range, which was $1.022m,” Mr Verrocchi said.

1 Cremorne St, Fitzroy, also sold on Saturday.

The house is close to Brunswick St, the Melbourne Museum, Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.

The university student, who was also supported at the auction by his partner and aunt, was “ecstatic” to buy the home.

“For a compact parcel of land, it was an affordable entry point in Fitzroy, “Mr Verrocchi added.

According to PropTrack, Victoria recorded a preliminary 70.7 per cent clearance rate from 421 early results this week.

More than 670 auctions are scheduled across the state next week.

Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.

MORE: Couple who queued for eight days to buy Melbourne land sell up

MCC ex-boss David Jones’ secret mancave scores big payday

Prime Altona swim school property heads to auction

The post Melbourne: Offbeat bullfighter approach boosts home deal appeared first on realestate.com.au.