Moultrie Observer, Saturday July 14, 2002

Talking houses: A new way to sell
By Mitch Kimbrell Observer intern

MOULTRIE - Talking houses? Sounds like a great ingredient for a nightmare. But, no, it's about selling real estate.

Browning Brass Key Realty first broached the idea in the Moultrie market with the process already installed and working at some of -its properties. Bivins All-American Realty has announced similar plans.

The concept of Talking House, a company from Wisconsin, is simple enough.

If, when driving down the road, you see a house you might be interested in buying and it has a sign in front designating it as a Talking House, tune your radio to 1610 AM and listen to a very detailed description of the home.

A transmitter, about the size

of a VCR, sits in the home and is capable of recording a five-minute message about the home and broadcasting it up to 300 feet away

Bobby and Patsy Browning, co-owners of Browning Brass Key Realty learned about the talking houses earlier this year from their grandson, Mitch Mauldin, and one of Browning Realty's agents, Carlton Perry The agency began using the transmitters in early July.

"We thought it was a splendid idea," Patsy Browning said. And so far, she's right. Home-owners selling their homes through Browning have told the Brownings that people are stopping day and night to hear the message read by Mauldin and the agent responsible for the home.

One of the reasons that talking houses seem so popular among realtors is simply their convenience. Potential buyers avoid the hassle of scheduling an appointment to see a house they won't buy and realtors save time on showing a home in vain.

Frank Bivins, of Bivins All-American Realty, said that the talking houses have all sorts of possibilities.

Bivins said that he has seen real estate agencies use the talking house concept for years, especially on beach front property.

Asked why he wanted to use the Talking House in his company, Bivins said "It's just another way to help people sell their houses.

"That's what we want to do."

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