Real estate parodies
**We ain't no "April Fools": ****A thinking, winking consumer's guide to disarming the real estate cartel through info-tainment: parodies, predictions, and proof that truth is stranger than fiction
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Countdown to April Fool's Day 2008: 355 days
Greetings, fellow real estate professionals, homebuyers, and sellers. April Fool's Day 2007 has come and gone, but the residential real estate industry is still ripe for parody. So we've decided to use this wiki to develop story ideas year round.
Feeling witty (or cynical)? Use this wiki to (1) expand on the idea starters below, (2) begin writing your own, or (3) click on the "Edit page" to insert a link to another site where you've found a real estate parody or are creating one of your own.
Who says real estate professionals, homebuyers, and sellers don't have a sense of humor? Anyone reading the paper knows that housing prices are a joke. What else about the current housing market or real estate practices makes you laugh (or drives you crazy)?
Disclaimer: With the US Department of Justice suing the National Association of Realtors and all, we know there's a temptating to engage in little "broker-bashing," but we ask you to keep your humor light-hearted and above the belt. Anyone using this wiki to defame others will be ... responsible for their own legal expenses. If you see anything mean-spirited, please help us by deleting it immediately.
IDEA STARTERS BY CATEGORY
Click on the "Edit page" tab above to suggest NEW headlines or ideas in one or two sentences below. Or, click on an existing link below to begin developing an existing story idea or edit final copy. Should we invite leading real estate media to pick up some of these story ideas, or publish our own parody of their daily or weekly news services?
CATEGORY: Cartoons
Designated Agency Cartoon Caption Contest
Got a better caption for the cartoon above? Enter it into the Designated agency cartoon caption contest.
Click on edit above to add your own headline, idea starter, or cartoon
CATEGORY: RealityTV parodies
Idea starters:
Headline: Reality TV: "Pimp my FSBO" ready to roll-out in Boston
A coalition of "for sale by owner" companies are combining forces in Boston to launch the latest real estate related RealityTV program: "Pimp my FSBO." The program will feature field trips to for sale by owner properties, and videoclips of interiors before and after FREE 15 minute FSBO makeovers.
Help [Reality TV: "Pimp my FSBO" ready to roll-out in Boston|develop this story idea or edit final copy].
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
Idea starters:
CATEGORY: Homeseller humor
Headline: St. Joseph refuses to play the fool in Second Life
A giant-sized St. Joseph statue has taken a stand outside the new Coldwell Banker office in SecondLife, protesting against plans to sell tiny St. Joseph statues that can be planted upside down to sell homes in SecondLife. The practice has been widespread in real life, but St. Joseph was quoted as saying, "I'm tired of playing the fool for sellers who overprice their homes."
Help develop this story idea or edit final copy.
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Headlines we'd LOVE to see this year
Idea starters:
Headline: Industry official propose FILL IN THE BLANK to end DOJ lawsuit
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Headlines we'd HATE to see this year
Idea starters:
Headline:
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Real estate bubble humor
Headline: Housing Economist warns homebuyers to "Watch their Fannie"
Help [Housing Economist warns homebuyers to "Watch their Fannie"|develop this story idea or edit final copy].
Headline: Teacher grades housing price correction
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Homebuyer humor
Idea starters:
Headline: Desparate buyer holds open house hostage
A desparate homebuyer in (fill-in the blank) shocked homeowners, and local officials by taking a new listing hostage after the sales agent stepped outside for a smoke.
Help develop this story idea or edit final copy.
Headline: Stinky cheese cancels open house
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Consumer advocacy humor
Headline: Consumer watchdog group launches dual agency detective
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Subprime mortgage scandal
Headline: Forestall foreclosure by selling your home one room at a time
Help-U-Subdivide has proposed an innovative way for homeowners to turn a crisis into a revenue opportunity: selling your home one room at a time to offset rising mortgage payments. Some local officials have praised the strategy as an innovative way to create much needed affordable housing. One local mortgage broker called it a "win-win-win."
Help develop this story idea or edit final copy.
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter
CATEGORY: Truth is stranger than fiction
Stories found online:
Headline: Hybrid biz adds pizazz to real estate listings
There's a new hybrid business in the Seattle area that combines real estate with two things are often paired together - wine and art.
A business called The Living Room in Kirkland displays works from local artists alongside hundreds of bottles of wine from Washington and beyond. It's a tasting room and wine store.......
Click here to read the rest of the story
CATEGORY: Real Estate Marathons
Idea starters:
Headline: Consumer Revolution in Real Estate, Version 14.0
Whether you believe humans came about from evolution, intelligent design, or God’s hand, one thing is certain; we were hard-wired to push the envelope. From a tee-pee to the Trump Tower; from nomadic hunter-gatherers, to trust fund-gatherers; and from bark to bidets, we have taken what was, and made it better.
Help ''develop this story idea or edit final copy.
CATEGORY: Add a category of real estate humor**
Idea starters:
Headline:
Click on edit above to add your own headline or idea starter''