The recent headline in USA Today read, “‘Flip This House’ star accused of fraud and faking work on show.What a great negative this could be for the “real deal” investors. I’ll explain what I mean at the end of this short article…ATLANTA (AP) – On an episode of A&E’s popular reality series Flip This House, Atlanta businessman Sam Leccima sits in front of a run-down house and calls buying and selling real estate his passion.
Now authorities and legal filings claim that Leccima’s true passion was a series of scams that included faking the home renovations shown on the cable TV show and claiming to have sold houses he never owned.”This is, indeed, a con artist,” said Sonya McGee, an Atlanta pharmaceutical representative who says Leccima took $4,000 from her in an investment scheme.
McGee and others say Leccima’s episodes of Flip This House, A&E’s most popular show, were elaborate hoaxes. His friends and family were presented as potential home buyers and “sold” signs were slapped in front of unsold houses. They say the home repairs – the lynchpin of the show – were actually quick or temporary patch jobs designed to look good on camera.
Leccima says he never claimed to own the homes. While not acknowledging his televised renovations were staged, he didn’t deny it and suggested that A&E and Departure Films, the production company that makes the show, knew exactly what he was doing.Here we go again… MORE negative press about anything relating to real estate investors!
I always say, “There’s only one way to deal with problems… FACE THEM HEAD ON!
You’re a real estate investor that’s honest, truthful and don’t want to be compared to the “other” so-called real estate investors like Mr. Leccima. Good. You don’t have to be!What’s the best Real Estate Marketing Tool you can use? The story you just read above!
How could I use this…? The same way you face any other apparent disaster to your image as a real estate investor. FACE THEM HEAD ON!If you’re using direct mail or even any other high profile media (radio/TV) as your Real Estate Marketing Tool, you include this story in your marketing… ALONG with the stark comparison of the way YOU do business and examples of how you’re the “real” deal, (with examples) as opposed to the “made up” TV things of this fake!It’s the same principle with any Real Estate Marketing Tool. You want to compare your product or service and how yours is better than the “other” guys. In this example, it’s pretty clear cut what the comparison is… it’s about “honesty, integrity, character and someone you can trust and do business with.”
Real Estate Marketing Tool number 1 in anyone’s book! Does anyone ever want to do business with someone they think may try and “con” them? I’ve never met anyone in all my years on this earth that said, “I don’t care if he’s a “con artist, “as long as he gets the job done.”Take this “negative story” and use the Real Estate Marketing Tool that gives the potential client another reason to do business with you! It’s a selling point that only works every time! This is a powerful Real Estate Marketing Tool! Use it and see for yourself.