To get into the holiday spirit, two RE/MAX branches in North Dakota have put up mailboxes for kids to send their letters to Santa Claus.
James Jensen
RE/MAX Lawn Realty in Valley City and RE/MAX Now in Jamestown each installed a bright red mailbox with Santa Claus’s home in the North Pole written on it as the destination. The idea, RE/MAX Lawn Realty broker James Jensen told Inman, came from his wife Andrea. A fifth-grade teacher, she saw the bright red box for sale at a local store called Real Deals and suggested they turn it into a mailbox for children’s Santa letters.
“I thought it was a fantastic idea,” Jensen told Inman. “And now, it’s definitely got our community talking.”
Jensen ran the idea by his colleague Beth Keller of RE/MAX Now, 30 miles west in Jamestown, and contacted their local radio stations to set up a contest to encourage letters. Since they’ve placed the boxes, decorated with snowflakes and red and green stripes, in front of their offices, both clients and locals with children have been stopping by to drop off letters.
The brokerages will be accepting letters until Dec. 15. From Dec. 16-23, the best letters will be read on radio stations Q101 and KOVC “by Santa Claus himself” (i.e a local radio host known for his deep voice); writers of the chosen letters will also receive prizes.
Beth Keller
Jensen noted that they will not know how many letters they received until they open the boxes on Dec. 16. They’ve been letting locals know about the contest by posting on social media, placing a newspaper ad and handing out flyers at elementary schools.
“I highly doubt we’re going to get a sale because we have this out there,” Jensen said. “But a year from now, people will be thinking of selling their house and will have a warm feeling about us.”