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This Baltimore Real Estate Listing Has a Festive (and Funny) Surprise

Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson is a reporter in Boston. She got her start at the Boston Herald, where commenters would leave sweet messages like “Megan Johnson is just awful.” Now, she's a contributor to publications like People Magazine, Trulia and Architectural Digest.
published Dec 11, 2018
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Mr. Grinch may be a “mean one,” but this real estate listing is pretty creative. A three-bed, three-bath home in the Hampden section of Baltimore, Maryland, received a wild holiday makeover, complete with a series of cameos by none of other than the Grinch. The classic Dr. Seuss character (which just got a Pharrell-narrated reboot) is seen throughout the beautifully rehabbed home practicing yoga, working out on the rowing machine, and lounging on the bed in a “come hither” position.

Currently listed at $374,900, the home boasts modern conveniences mixed with historic charm, like exposed original brick, stainless steel appliances, and two porches, ideal for entertaining (in case the rest of Who-ville comes over, we guess?) But our favorite part of the listing may be the last line, where it’s mentioned that “Grinch Not Included.”

I found the listing though Twitter user Allison Robicelli (@robicellis)’s hilarious annotation of the listing, and reached out to Christina Dudley, the listing agent. Dudley and Michael Frank, her teammate at Berkshire Hathaway PenFed Realty, got the idea for the listing when they saw someone do something similar on Facebook with a dinosaur.

“I just thought it was hilarious,” says Dudley. She notes that the neighborhood where the home is located is also “kinda quirky,” so the listing fits the surroundings.

This isn’t the first time the team has tried this marketing plan, either. They’ve previously staged homes with a unicorn—which sold for full price in one day—and Spiderman—which was actually an old listing that sat on the market for three months with another agent. Once the photos went live, the house went under contract in one week.

“Some people think it’s a terrible idea and it’s creepy,” she says. “But it gets people talking and sharing on social media!”

Exposure is certainly important for any listing—especially those on the market during a slower real estate month, and Dudley’s festive photos, like another seasonal favorite we can think of, will surely go down in history.