Pennsylvania agent Michael Murphy has checked the comps. He’s willing to compromise on the commission. And he’s ready to close a deal.
For the entire country of Greenland, that is.
Murphy published a video Tuesday in which he offers to represent President Trump in the purchase of the world’s largest island. Murphy is a Long and Foster agent in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and in the video he says he has the chops for the Greenland deal.
“You may be wondering how a residential Realtor like myself could possibly negotiate with Greenland,” Murphy says in the video, which he sent by email to the White House and promptly received an automated response. “But my past experience, I worked for Alcoa, a company you know well. I used to call on companies like Apple computer and Tesla and Chrysler and Ford.”
Murphy’s video — which is obviously tongue in cheek — is a response to a report last week from the Wall Street Journal that Trump is interested in buying Greenland, which is an autonomous Danish territory.
The idea was mostly mocked, but Trump later confirmed his interest and referred to the hypothetical sale as “essentially a large real estate deal.” Then on Monday, the president tweeted an image of the all-gold Trump International Hotel Las Vegas photoshopped into a small coastal village in Greenland.
“I promise not to do this to Greenland!” Trump said in the tweet.
I promise not to do this to Greenland! pic.twitter.com/03DdyVU6HA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2019
Murphy ran with the gag, telling Inman in an email that he believes the idea of buying Greenland “is a complete joke planted for fun by President Trump.” He also said that the idea for the video came when he realized Greenland “would be a ‘listing’ that any great Real Estate Agent should pursue!”
In the video, Murphy reveals that he generally works on 3 percent commission but since the deal will likely be worth many billions of dollars he would compromise — for something like 2.8 percent. He also described the Greenland deal as a For-Sale-By-Owner transaction.
There are some challenges, however. Murphy says that he’ll need some up-front funding, and will probably want to get a gift card for the people of Greenland.
And there also aren’t a lot of comps.
“There’s not a lot to look at in that neighborhood in terms of purchasing a whole country,” Murphy says in the video. “But I’m kind of looking at the Chinese acquisition of Hong Kong. I went back to the Louisiana Purchase.”
Murphy concludes by inviting Trump to call him any time, except for Wednesdays.
“Wednesdays are my day off, I play golf,” he says. “So don’t call me on Wednesdays, but any other time feel free to reach out.”
