Barking mad: Why rescue animals star in this Gold Coast real estate agency's ads

Jesse Willcox was already using animals in his property marketing when he had an epiphany.

The Gold Coast-based real estate agent, who once interned as vet, had received a positive response to his fresh-faced marketing style that uses pets of all sizes in its photography and videos – and it gave him an idea.

“I thought, what if we could somehow give back? What if we could incorporate an issue that’s close to our hearts, into our work?” he said.

“We were already using pets, so what better way to raise awareness for those that don’t have a home by featuring animals that actually need a home?”

Mr Willcox, who, together with Mitchell Lambert, runs elite agency Lambert Willcox, approached the Animal Welfare League with the idea of teaming up to re-home shelter animals by using the pets in their property marketing.

The response has been overwhelming.

“We originally started putting pets in our marketing as a point of difference,” Mr Willcox said.

“The fact is, a large percentage of Australian households have pets and can identify with homes that have a pet – it’s about showing how spaces can be liveable in different and meaningful ways.

“We got such a great response. All the time, people used to joke, ‘can we keep the animal with the property?’ and it got us thinking, what if there was a way to do this and give back? Now we can actually say to prospective buyers – yes, you can keep the animal too!”

A new listing at 13 Rutledge Street, Coolangatta, stars Batman, a black greyhound, where he’s pictured lounging in the floor of the home.

He’s already been re-homed – and though Mr Willcox will continue with the campaign leading up to the auction on Saturday March 11, he’s pleased the dog has been adopted.

“That’s what it’s all about: finding someone to take these pets. The fact that we can do this while marketing a property is something that I find really rewarding,” he says.

Lambert Willcox is a relatively new player to the Gold Coast real estate market, opening just 14 months ago. Its young but astute directors managed to break into the local market quickly, closing a number of high-profile deals and winning Young Entrepreneur of the Year Gold Coast.

Recent sales include 67 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters, a four-level riverfront masterpiece, on the market for three years before Lambert Willcox found a buyer for $5,485,000.

“We wanted to have a point of difference. Using animals in our marketing is one example,” Mr Willcox says.

“We’re also massive on interactive videos with our listings, which enables prospective buyers — especially those interstate and overseas — to really get a feel for a property.”

He said sellers are given the option of using their own pets in the marketing if they have them, but for those who don’t, Lambert Willcox will continue to work with the Animal Welfare League for their listings.

“From a real estate point of view, it’s a great way to inject a bit of life into a property that may otherwise look a little stark,” he said.

“It’s all about showing that spaces can be liveable in different and meaningful ways – and creating memorable listings for properties that stay in buyers minds long after they look at them.”