PRE-CHAT
Years ago, while diving deep into the worlds of gamification and sales, I stumbled upon Carmen Simon’s Impossible to Ignore. I read it around the same time as Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff and Actionable Gamification by Yu-kai Chou, all in a quest to master persuasion and engagement which has served me well in all interactions. Around the same time, I also pursued side quest of 2 Gamification Certificates through the Octalysis Group which is a great group I also recommend. In short: those books shaped how I approached influencing decisions, blending neuroscience with practical strategies.
Fast forward to NOW, as I’m venturing into real estate investing, I recently reread Simon’s work. This time around, my focus was on how it might apply to creating better interactions in world of real estate. Some places for application might be wholesaling deals, adding value in flipping properties, or helping move listings that seem stuck.
As full disclosure, I’m essentially in “pre take off” mode for real estate… I haven’t yet done any of this, so take it for what you will. That said, what I’m writing about here seems generally common in world of tech marketing and viable as experienced when applied in 1:1 interactions in life.
CARMEN SIMON’S CONCEPTS
So, let’s get into it: at the heart of Impossible to Ignore are 15 variables that influence how people remember and act on information, drawn from Simon’s research on cognitive neuroscience. Better than abstract concepts; they can be used as TOOLS to craft content that’s easy to process, hard to forget, and geared toward driving decisions. I’ve taken 15 Memory variables from Dr. Simon’s Checklist and attempted to explain in context of real estate. Longer examples follow.
- Context: The setting (space and time) where information is encoded. Create vivid mental or physical contexts that match future recall points. Example: Stage a railroad-adjacent home as a “frontier depot” to evoke historical adventure, matching buyers’ daydreams of progress.
- Cues: Triggers that remind audiences of key content later. Use external reminders to prompt actions. Example: Place train-themed signs or model tracks in listings to cue enthusiasts about the property’s unique “rustic appeal.”
- Distinctiveness: Standing out from surrounding elements. Break patterns to capture attention. Example: In a flip, add unexpected features like romantic wainscoting in a starter home to differentiate it from standard listings.
- Emotion: States tied to rewards or punishments. Link content to positive feelings for stronger recall. Example: Market a distressed property by evoking excitement about a “new life” post-sale, shifting from stress to freedom.
- Facts: Concrete, observable truths. Ground messages in verifiable data. Example: Highlight stats like “Proximity to tracks means 20% lower price—perfect for first-time buyers building equity fast.”
- Familiarity: Ease of hooking into existing knowledge. Use common references to reduce cognitive load. Example: Tie a home’s nursery room to buyers’ childhood memories, making the space feel instantly relatable.
- Motivation: Willingness to act for rewards. Minimize effort and delay while maximizing perceived gains. Example: In wholesaling ads, emphasize quick cash offers to motivate sellers facing repairs, with low-effort next steps.
- Novelty: New or unusual experiences. Introduce fresh combinations to spark interest. Example: Decorate a flip with a hot tub nook in a romantic master suite, creating a “unique haven” buyers haven’t seen before.
- Quantity of Information: Balanced amount of content. Avoid overload; provide enough for multiple memory traces. Example: In networking pitches, share 3-5 key success stories with visuals, not overwhelming stats, to stay memorable.
- Relevance: Importance to the audience’s goals. Align with their needs for preferential recall. Example: For investors at events, frame your track record as “reliable wins” relevant to their ROI aspirations.
- Repetition: Multiple exposures to reinforce patterns. Repeat key elements at least three times. Example: Reinforce a property’s “unstoppable progress” theme in listings, tours, and follow-ups to embed the positive spin.
- Self-Generated Content: Interactive elements that engage the audience. Invite participation for deeper encoding. Example: Ask buyers to imagine their family in the nursery or fitness space during showings, making the vision personal.
- Sensory Intensity: Activation of multiple senses. Use visuals, sounds, or imagined sensations. Example: In marketing, describe the “rhythmic train hum” as soothing, paired with vivid photos to engage sight and sound.
- Social Aspects: Advantages like status from acting on content. Leverage social proof or prestige. Example: Position investing with you as joining an “elite network of winners,” boosting prominence for capital raisers.
- Surprise: Unexpected elements that improve predictions. Create incongruity for learning and recall. Example: Reveal a hidden perk like a train-view balcony mid-tour, flipping a “flaw” into a delightful novelty.
Applications to Real Estate
We’re going to take an example from Bill Allen’s 7 Figure Flipping Underground, where a property near a railroad track seemed like a deal-breaker. I recently heard a real world similar story from a realtor and investor I met recently—a listing near train tracks. Re-evaluating these two situations, I wonder what if we reframed the “flaw” as an asset using Simon’s principles?
Selling an “Undesirable” Listing
For instance, apply sensory intensity and novelty by decorating the listing with train-themed accents—model trains on shelves, rustic railroad art, or even a viewing area styled like an old-time depot. This turns the proximity into a feature: Imagine marketing it with context as having “rustic frontier appeal,” evoking the romance of America’s rail history. Though no one may want to live near train tracks if presented with reticence and as a flaw, whose imagination isn’t captured by train adventures through the Swiss Alps or American Frontier? You might lean into emotion and contextual triggers with storytelling: “Picture starting your day like a character in a classic film— the rhythmic trains reminding you of unstoppable progress and your own ascent to greatness.” For model train enthusiasts, hook into familiarity by asking, “Remember the joy of your childhood train sets? Live it every day here.” This shifts the context from nuisance to novelty, using repetition in listings and showings to reinforce the positive spin, and rewards by highlighting unique perks like privacy or affordability.
Standing Out Among “WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH” Wholesalers
Maybe what’s tried and true is best, but perhaps there is alternate verbiage to help us stand out to potential sellers with distressed properties. With Simon’s variables we can shift focus from the home’s problems or even implied insult of owning a distressed to the promise of a fresh start. We can use emotion and motivation in marketing messages or imagery to paint a vivid picture of a new life. For example, ads could feature before-and-after stories with facts like “Imagine trading leaky roofs for beach sunsets—sell fast and start your next chapter debt-free.” Hook into relevance and rewards by repetition of themes of freedom and opportunity, such as “Unlock the cash in your home for that dream move you’ve been postponing.” This creates surprise by flipping the script from distress to excitement, encouraging sellers to envision future habits like traveling or downsizing, making your call-to-action unforgettable and prompting quick responses.
Real Estate Investing at Networking Events
For real estate investors aiming to stand out at networking events while raising capital, these principles help position you as a memorable “winner” others want to back. In a sea of pitches, use distinctiveness and self-generated content to share success stories with repetition of key wins—like “I’ve flipped 20 properties in the last year, each turning 30% profit.” Infuse emotion by tying into shared aspirations: “Join me in transforming overlooked gems into goldmines, just like the time we turned a flood-damaged house into a family haven.” Leverage surprise with unexpected twists, such as revealing a high-ROI case study mid-conversation, and end with decision drivers like exclusive invites to site visits. This makes you stick in minds as the reliable, visionary partner, driving follow-ups and investments.
Creating Value in Renovation – Where the SUM of the whole is MORE than the PARTS.
To add even more value in flipping—especially for starter homes targeting first-time buyers—Simon’s variables can amplify perceived uniqueness without expanding the renovation scope. Treat features as complementary components that build desire through layered storytelling. For example, in the master bedroom, incorporate romantic wainscoting or a cozy hot tub nook, then market it with emotion and facts as “a romantic retreat where love stories begin.” In the same property, renovate an adjacent room as a nursery or versatile fitness space, using contextual triggers to evoke future goals: “Envision this as your growing family’s nursery or a personal gym for that healthy new chapter.” Worth noting what starts in the bedroom ends in a nursery helps create a story in the prospective buyer’s mind—such that individual features feel like story points in the buyer’s mind. This can create novelty by making the home feel super unique—like a tailored haven for life’s milestones—boosting both desire and value simultaneously. The key would be repetition in listings to reinforce these themes, turning a standard flip into an emotionally charged, memorable buy that stands out.
My name is Adam Weissman and as I work to make a transition to Real Estate full time, I’ll be reflecting on past life lessons and how I can leverage them in the future. Much will be speculative. I’m no expert yet, but I will be.
If you’re in sales, marketing, or now real estate like me, Impossible to Ignore is a must-read. Grab it on Amazon here. Also, check out Bill Allen’s 7 Figure Flipping Underground on Amazon here. You may also be interested in this podcast interview with Carmen Simon.