Real estate agents seem to have several standard modes of advertising: headshots and phone numbers plastered on bus benches, logo-printed notepads and pens dropped on doorsteps, branded household items handed out at community events.
Damon Kronsberg uses a different vehicle to get his name out — namely, a vehicle.
The longtime Santa Monica-based realtor has been conducting an experiment of sorts, promoting his local presence with an odd, 54-year-old car that he takes around town.
Indeed, in an age where marketing comes in many forms across numerous platforms, Kronsberg relies heavily on a boxy van that's been around since John F. Kennedy's presidency.
Behold the Real Estate Roller.
“I've always wanted to have some kind of vehicle, to do something different and to connect with people in a different way,” he said.
Kronsberg's acquisition of the vehicle happened serendipitously. Seven years ago, he was heading to Nagao for sushi on San Vicente Boulevard near 26th Street. As he parked his car in an underground lot, he noticed something strange. Off in the corner and covered with dust was a 1962 Jeep FJ-3, a small delivery truck that looked like it hadn't been used in years.
“The first time I saw it, I just did a double take on it and said, 'I have to have this vehicle,'” he said.
Kronsberg started asking around about the mysterious vehicle and learned that it belong to a shuttered bakery. He eventually got in touch with the owner of City Bakery in New York, who agreed to sell it to him.
The car, however, was in desperate need of repairs and upgrades. So Kronsberg enlisted the help of several area businesses to bring his vision to life, including Stokes Tire Service on Santa Monica Boulevard and Al & Ed's Autosound on Wilshire Boulevard. Car specialists and graphic designers participated in the project.
“I wanted to create something amazing form something that used to be amazing,” he said. “It was the kind of thing where it had to come to me organically.”
Kronsberg, a Coldwell Banker agent whose office is in Brentwood, has been serving clients on the Westside for more than 30 years. But he said the Real Estate Roller, which he originally bought in 2009, has elevated his brand in the community.
“Damon and I have discussed for years that if he wants to be something special to his community, he needs to show up playing a different game than the rest of his competition,” said Rob Novack, Kronsberg's marketing lead.
When clients give their permission, Kronsberg brings the vehicle to open houses. He supplements informational handouts with free ice cream, candy and balloons. He also sets up at charity fundraisers, school events and other street gatherings.
“I'm not just here to transact in real estate,” he said. “I'm here to be part of the community, to be embedded in the community.”
Kronsberg said the vehicle is a conversation piece that elicits curiosity.
“This thing really makes people happy,” he said. “People look at it and it just resonates.”
