"If You Buy Our House, We'll Throw In a Prius For You"

A Maserati -- as bait

Sellers, builders and agents are pulling out all the stops, and perhaps a plasma TV.

By Ann Brenoff, Times Staff Writer
September 24, 2006

Stopping short of installing glue traps to ensure that prospective buyers can't get away, sellers, builders and real estate agents have been reaching deeper into their bag of tricks in their efforts to move the ever-increasing homes-for-sale inventory.

They are giving away new cars, trucks, plasma TVs and chances to win expensive vacations to those who buy, refer a buyer or, in the case of Coldwell Banker, even just agree to chat with them without using a pseudonym.

<snip>


"If they don't want a pickup, they can have a Prius," Tacconelli said, covering all bases. "Or if they don't need a new car and just want to knock $15,000 or $20,000 off the price, that's fine too." The man is practically begging here."

<snip>

Full Article