How Have Essay Contest Realtors Been Doing

How Have Essay Contest Realtors Been Doing SPECIALTY/SERVICES Specialty/Services 6-3-4 If you've been wondering how those widely ballyhooed "essay contests" for selling farms, ranches and other real estate are working out, here's the "score" on four separate contests we checked out shortly before this issue went to press. Ferryville, Wis.: "It was a great idea except it didn't work," reports Amy Cisney who, along with husband Jim, tried unsuccessfully to give their 51 acre farm away as the grand prize in an essay contest. To win the contest (which we told you about last fall in FARM SHOW's Vol. 5, No. 6 issue) contestants had to send in a $50 entry fee and explain, in 25 words or less, "I want to own a farm in Wisconsin because . . . " The Cisneys spent about $1,000 to have entry forms printed up and on promotion and legal fees, and another $1,000 to buy out of their real estate contract so they could go ahead with the essay contest. Because lotteries are illegal in Wisconsin (and in most other states) the Cisneys introduced "an element of skill" by requiring a written essay, along with a $50 entry fee. Entries were mailed direct to the Cisney farm and were to be judged by an independent firm. In promoting the contest, the Cisneys said it would take 1,700 entries at $50 each, for a total of $85,000, to make it work. They ended up with right at 450 total entries, or about 26% of their goal. They've called the contest off and refunded all the entry money. Says Amy: "We're not sorry we had a go at it, even though it didn't work out. We learned a lot and met many interesting people. We've got the farm listed with a local realtor for $76,000." Here, in 25 words or less, is one of the 450 entries the Chisneys received: "Fifty bucks for heaven on earth? Friends, you've got a winner! A home again in my state of birth at 98 cents an acre." Valley Springs, Calif.: After balking at the $20,000 commission a real estate broker wanted to sell their 10 acre boysenberry farm valued at between $180,000 and $200,000, Daniel and Joyce Steward decided last fall to give it away as the grand prize in a sweepstakes contest. On the advice of their lawyer, they incorporated the element of skill (an "I would like to win a 10 acre Central California farm because . . . " essay in 25 words or less) and a $150 entry fee. They also announced at the start that the contest would be called off if they received less than 1,000 entries. The original Jan. 31 deadline was extended to April 30. Three judges from a local college were to pick the winner. . When FARM SHOW talked to them two weeks ago, one week before the April 30 deadline, the Stewards were teetering on the horns of a dilemma: "We've received only 617 total entries at $150 each, which is quite a bit short of our goal of 1,000 entries. We've also run into a serious snag with postal officials who have threatened to press charges if we go ahead with the contest and give the farm away. Their quarrel seems to be that we had entries addressed to a P.0 box number. That, apparently, was a big mistake on our part. We should have had them sent direct to our farm, or to some other specific address," Joyce told FARM SHOW. "Because of the snag, we'll probably cancel the contest and refund the money. If it hadn't been for this problem with postal officials, we probably would have extended the deadline and tried to get the 1,000 entries we needed. The Stewards say they've spent $12,000 on legal fees and for printing and distributing 130,000 contest entry forms. Their 10 acre boysenberry farm is located several miles from their 300 acre headquarters olive ranch and is being sold because it's inconvenient for them to operate ù not because it isn't profitable: "We think it can provide $20,000 to $40,000 a year profit to the owner and is a good buy at the $150,000 we were hoping to net from the contest," Joyce told FARM SHOW. Tony, Wis.: "We only got seven entries. We needed at least 2,000," laments Louisa Ostrowski. She and her husband Phil decided last fall to conduct an essay contest as a means of eliminating t

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