Real estate agency turns property hunting into a game

A French company has devised an escape room game that helps potential buyers search for property.

Hunting for property to buy or rent can often seem like a tedious chore. To spark the interest of buyers, especially younger buyers, French real-estate agency Evidence Immobilier decided to take a new approach, by turning apartment buying into an escape room game that allows potential buyers to explore the property while looking for clues and solving puzzles.

Viewers are first blindfolded and locked in one of the apartment rooms. They then have to use their observational skills to find clues, solve puzzles and eventually unlock the door and escape. The game is designed to encourage the would-be buyers to view the entire property in detail, while also having fun. It also encourages the buyers to explore areas of the property they might have not looked at on a routine visit. There is also more to the game than fun. If the would-be buyers manage to escape the apartment in 18 minutes or less, Evidence Immobilier will cover the costs of all the paperwork required to complete the purchase.

Evidence Immobilier has currently set up the game in a single apartment in Montpelier, France, and for a limited time only. Of course, winners are not under any obligation to purchase the property, but Evidence Immobilier is hoping that the approach will help get people more interested in viewing the property, as well as bring publicity, and buyers, to other properties. The escape room game joins other unique marketing strategies recently covered by Springwise that draw on the trend for valuing experiences over objects. These include an interactive retail space for emerging brands and a restaurant where diners can buy all the furnishings. What other products or services might benefit from an experiential approach to marketing?