As this house might say, 'buy me'

Abilene Reporter News: Business

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Friday, May 22, 1998

As this house might say, 'buy me'

By SCOTT SCHOLTEN

Staff Writer

No, this isn't a hallucination and the house isn't possessed. This Abilene house really does talk.

The voice emanating from 3190 Columbia Drive is that of Mike Wilder, an Abilene realtor with Dalzell Realtors.

To put himself above Abilene's pack of 260 realtors, Wilder bought radio transmitters to station in houses he's trying to sell, making his advertising effort truly multi-media.

One of the for-sale signs in front of the Columbia Drive house directs drive-by shoppers to the AM-band frequency on which Wilder touts the house's features.

Rather than broadcasting, the equipment narrow-casts the house ad. Wilder's voice breaks into static by the end of the block.

House shoppers (or the plain ol' intrigued) park in front of the house and listen to Wilder's 3 minute spiel.

This marketing approach has been around since 1989, Wilder said. The cost of the machines is a major factor in whether real estate agents use them.

At $800 for three of the transmitters, Wilder said the machines need outside funding.

About half the recording is advertisements for American Home Loans, Best Home Warranty, Burger King and State Farm Insurance.

Wilder mentions these businesses because they chipped in to help buy the equipment.

"Not everyone has the gumption to go get sponsors," Wilder said. "Most don't have the gambling instinct and they'd rather put (their advertising money) in a newspaper ad."

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