Sky Sotheby's Realtors Laura Brady and Stuart Mattison reached for the stars last week for the debut of the marketing program for Casa Elegante, a five-bedroom, 41/2-bath, 14,243-square-foot palace on Indian Beach Place overlooking Sarasota Bay.
Built by Sarasota's Laughlin's Luxury Lifestyles, the home's sales push was launched with invitations to about 1,000 people for a "preview event" of The Asolo Theatre's fall production of "The Plexiglass Slipper."
The cast and crew helped bring the Cinderella-like fairy tale to life in costume and benefited the theater as well, Brady says.
The estate's 35,578-square-foot lot was the setting for the sunset event, which sets new standards for luxury marketing chutzpah and expense.
On a listing such as Casa Elegante, Brady and Mattison personally commit to spending upwards of $50,000 over the course of the first year, of which 5 percent goes to photography and copywriting, 20 percent goes for the launch event, 15 percent goes for Internet ads, 30 percent goes for direct mail and brochures, 25 percent goes for print advertising, and the balance goes for odd and ends.
You can check the digs out at its own Web site at www.casaelegantesarasota.com.