St Joseph and me

The Board of Realtors maintains a store where I shop for supplies for my business. Its not an office supply store but carries items that many Realtors use in marketing themselves or the homes that they sell. Stuff like: signs, sign riders, open house materials, flyer boxes, client gifts, software, books and packages of real estate forms, disclosurs and contracts. The place has everything from Realtor maps and key-chains to notebook computers. If you ever signed a guest book at an open house or have a refrigerator magnet with a Realtors smiling face, it probably came out of our store.



A new item that is selling like “Two Buck Chuck” ($2 wine from Charles Shaw) is figurines of St. Joseph. I was never personally acquainted with St. Joe but apparently he is the patron saint of families and home sellers. Realtors are following an ancient ritual and burying St. Joseph (the figurine not the real Saint) in the front yard under the for sale sign of homes they have for sale. The centuries-old ritual is supposed to be bring good fortune to home sellers and commissions to their agents.



The 4-inch statuette comes with a prayer attached. Once St. Joseph is under the “For Sale Sign” the agents recites the prayer and within a few weeks a full-price offer is supposed to appear.



At $9.95 including the prayer I have included St. Joseph as part of my marketing campaign. Other agents may offer sellers virtual tours, open houses, full-page advertising but I am taking St. Joe on my listings presentation. He is now my best buddy. Other agents may offer sellers a “Team”, I can offer them divine intervention. Wouldn't you rather have an agent in partnership with St. Joseph working for you?