Buyers will likely do a double-take on a Scottie Henderson listing. Whether he’s belting out a song while riding on a hoverboard in a living room or floating in a pool on a unicorn innertube, his listings are difficult to ignore.
Henderson, with eXp Realty in Waterloo Region, Ontario, creates jingles for the homes he sells. The songs have become so catchy that some buyers even request their home’s “theme song” at closing—or add the tune to their smart doorbell.
“I’ll get calls from other agents saying, ‘Hey, my buyer saw your video and they sung this address to me, and they’d like to book a showing,’” he says. “It’s stories like that where I know it worked. … When they’re singing the actual address.”
Henderson writes each song himself, crafting one-of-a-kind musical soundtracks for every listing. He might sing about the “bungee bungalow” or croon in grunge-rock style about the sweat equity you gain by “not paying for someone else’s updates,” showing that originality and even non-upgraded finishes can pay off in real estate, too.
“Honestly, this is all about grabbing attention for my sellers,” Henderson says about his music videos. “How do I launch their house for sale so the most people know it’s for sale, and it gets the most attention, which then will drive the most showings and the most offers? I do that through fun, engaging videos.”
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Henderson’s approach has been a game changer for him. When he started in real estate in 2011, he would arrive at listing appointments dressed in a full suit. “I felt super uncomfortable and that I was not being myself,” he says. “And my business was pretty average.”
In 2018, everything changed. He hired a videographer, ditched the traditional suit for a colorful, hot pink suit and unicorn—that is, a picture of him riding a unicorn attached to the metal post of his For Sale signs that have become a visual hallmark of his brand. He also embraced his love of music, crafting catchy jingles for each listing. “My business has continued to grow ever since,” he says.
His marketing isn’t all about the flash. He blends traditional elements into each listing—professional photos, floor plans and virtual tours. But his listings have an added element—a music video. It’s those short musical hooks that he hopes will get buyers’ attention and will make them want to learn more about the property—of course, as they sing along.
Henderson emphasizes he’s not chasing viral fame, although celebrities have noticed and commented on his music videos. “I don’t care about going viral nationally,” he says. “I’m only trying to go viral locally. What I care about is the local area knowing my houses are for sale … not getting a million likes. I care that people within a 30-mile radius see my listing.”
To help with that, he also runs targeted local ads across social media that use his music videos as a hook to generate more views and get buyers clicking for more.
Video marketing suits Henderson, but he sees other real estate agents taking different approaches to their marketing that can be just as effective. “There are people in my market throwing incredible events, being ambassadors for their city, supporting causes for charities that make them stand out too,” he says. “There’s lots of ways to stand out. … For me, I leaned into videos because that’s right up my wheelhouse. … But I think the key to standing out is focusing on what you’re good at.”
Certainly, Henderson knows his bold, playful videos aren’t for everyone. But they do give potential clients a sense of his style, and he says many of his clients feel like they’ve gotten to know him through his videos.
“I’m not for everybody, and that’s OK,” he says. “But for the people that do like what I’m doing, they’re not calling anybody else.”
