Property sale boosted by Panda power

Estate agent Richard Welpton persuaded the owner of this house to dress up as a giant panda to sell his property. And his ploy might just pay off. Sharon Dale reports.
Lee in his panda suitLee in his panda suit
Lee in his panda suit

Estate agent Richard Welpton spent three years trying to persuade homeowners to appear in video tours of their properties but they all shied away from the chance to star... until now.

Lee Wilson, who is selling his £425,000 home near Beverley, didn't want to be centre stage so he agreed to do the promotional film dressed as an adorable giant panda. The result looks all set to be a YouTube sensation and is already a scene stealer on property portal Rightmove.Richard, a director of East Yorkshire-based Quick and Clarke estate agents, says: "I get very bored of seeing the same old pictures and videos. For me it's a bit like groundhog day. My first idea was to film homeowners in their properties, sitting at the dining table and watching TV. The plan was that this would bring the houses to life while introducing prospective buyers to the seller.

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"I've asked lots of clients but no-one wanted to do it so then I thought it would be fun to have them dressed in disguise. That idea didn't catch on until Lee agreed to do it and we're hoping that it makes the house stand out. We certainly had a lot of laughs shooting the video."

A panda's work is never doneA panda's work is never done
A panda's work is never done

Lee adds: "Richard asked me if I fancied doing something a bit different to market the house. When I asked how different he produced a panda suit. At first I thought he was going to wear it but he persuaded me to do it and we had a fun-filled day doing the film. I'm hoping it makes the property stand out."

His five-bedroom home, Highcroft, is in the pretty village of Cherry Burton. It has been recently remodelled and extended. For details visit www.quickclarke.co.uk

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