No, Compass isn’t acquiring the National Association of Realtors and RE/MAX agents didn’t just rediscover the lost city of Atlantis.
Those and others are just a few of the real estate-related April Fools jokes circulating today on the internet. Both individual agents and large brokerages have been pulling out their inner jokesters throughout the day — in some cases, posting pranks that have left real estate professionals genuinely worried.
Courtesy of Vendor Alley
Such was the case when Vendor Alley founder Greg Robertson published an article saying that Compass was acquiring NAR.
“With the addition of NAR, Compass’ national team will represent all real estate transactions in the country going forward,” the joke article reads.
RE/MAX sent out a Twitter post saying that its agents had discovered the lost city of Atlantis — evidently a prime real estate opportunity for homebuyers and investors.
Now specializing in “ocean-view” properties. pic.twitter.com/yS1XjwKepG
— RE/MAX (@remax) April 1, 2019
Real estate tech platform Homesnap, meanwhile, got in a dig at Zillow with a YouTube video that pretends the latter has started sending leads to listing agent for free.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYe1IB5c8AQ&=&feature=youtu.be
Portland brewery Widmer Brothers Brewing pretended to partner with Windermere Real Estate.
“Everyone always got our names mixed up anyway… Even my Mom still calls us Windermere Brothers,” brewmaster Tom Bleigh wrote in an Instagram post. “This makes things easier for everyone.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvuIO_pA6Ci/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Later in the day, Robertson posted another April Fools’ Day post — this time it was a video mocking a project that has been hyped for years, was defective upon launch and yet refuses to die: broker data management firm Upstream. The National Association of Realtors spent $13 million on the project through its subsidiary, Realtors Property Resource (RPR), but NAR and Upstream went their separate ways at the end of last year with no working product to show for it. Multiple listing service vendor CoreLogic has now taken on the role of reviving the project, in part by using its data marketplace Trestle.
In the video, Dr. Frankenstein presents “the monster” (Upstream) to the audience while an enthusiastic clapper labeled as Upstream Vice Chairman Craig Cheatham gushes from off stage.
Real estate marketing company Back At You Media wrote a blog post about a PET-MLS that would allow owners to market dog houses, cat towers, and fish bowls.
Back At You Media.
Some democratic socialists in New York, meanwhile, woke up to news to news that would have made them jump up in fright — that the Real Estate Board of New York had sponsored their progressive publication.
Ok this is a pretty good April Fool’s joke.
For those who don’t get it, NYC Thorn is @nycDSA’s regular round up of city and state news from a socialist perspective, while REBNY is the real estate lobby. pic.twitter.com/CwC0YmUt0X
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) April 1, 2019
As some have pointed out in the past, April Fools’ Day can also be a great marketing opportunity as shocking news can drive thousands of people to one’s site. Both agents and brokerages used the day as an opportunity to post all manner of real estate-related jokes and memes.
https://www.facebook.com/BHHSShowcaseProperties/photos/pcb.10156936978650751/10156936977560751/?type=3&theater
Courtesy of Facebook
