Diana Arvatescu, an agent from Re/Max, decided to liven things up and attract a little real estate business at the same time. Instead of your typical real estate billboard, she went with one adorned with her nice white smile and the phrase “Le me take you home. It’s gorgeous inside.” Mind you, there were no pieces of clothing in danger of suffering a wardrobe malfunction or provocative posing of any sort.
That approach, though creative and fun, was just too much for some of Calgary’s more uptight citizens. The billboard also didn’t go over well at the Calgary Real Estate Board, noting that it was outside acceptable advertising practices for the industry. At the University of Calgary, a professor in the social work department thought it was too provocative.
Some called the billboard an act of desperation by Arvatescu, trying to increase business in a perceived soft market. This opinion was flaunted despite Calgary seeing a rise in sales while most of Canada sees things go the other direction. Is this just sour grapes?
Arvatescu, who was born in Romania, defended her billboard with a limited response. Her Facebook page offers no further explanation but does have a photo of the billboard as well as a number of glamorous photo shots.
No one knows what would have been said had a male real estate agent decided to bare his chest on a neighbourhood billboard. Mind you Arvatescu didn’t bare hers, not nearly so. But it does make you wonder if the mindset of some of Calgary’s residents as well as members of the Calgary Real Estate Board might well be stuck in the early 20th century.
Don’t you all remember the 1960s? All that loose clothing, bold colors and free love must have driven them all nuts.