This bonkers broker video might be our favorite New York listing of all time

By Virginia K. Smith | November 20, 2015 - 1:34PM

We take a moment of appreciation for this perfect Friday collision of out-there broker tactics and weird YouTube finds: Earlier this month, Halstead broker Brian Lewis unleashed the above listing video to promote his sale at 45 Christopher Street, and it's well on its way to viral infamy.

While the camera pans around the prewar, $1.695 million West Village spread, Lewis seductively strokes the neutral-toned couch, extolling the virtues of owning in a condo versus a co-op in the historic neighborhood: "Liberty. Peace of mind. No bars. Let the eagle soar." And credit where it's due: in the midst of the strange sales tableau, Lewis actually manages to get in a lot of details about the apartment, like its beamed ceilings, sunken living room, and granite kitchen countertops.

We checked in with Lewis—who, unsurprisingly, has a background in theater—and he explained that the spot was inspired by "high-concept, self-serious" ads like Matthew McConaughey's Lincoln commercial and videos promoting certain new developments around the city. "The thing that's lacking is perspective," Lewis says.

Apparently, he's been making tongue-in-cheek listing videos for years, noting, "I never really know what I'm going to do until we start, but we don't want to be disrespectful, or so irreverent that it draws attention away from the property." He's also not the only broker to take this approach: Elliman's Todd Stevens has also been making these types of videos for years, and tells us, "If the property isn't some $10 million listing that's going to get attention anyway, you have to give it some spark."

Watch and judge for yourself, but know that it seems to have worked—according to the listing, the place has already gone into contract.

(H/T People Magazine for the link.)

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