Every listing has a story.
Most just never get told.
Today’s Traffic & Attention example is a perfect reminder: the listings that spread online rarely go viral because of the square footage.
They spread because there’s a story people want to repeat.
Let’s look at one that exploded this week:🏆 [B]est in Class: $700K over the Zestimate
💡 [I]deas That Work: The death of the hobbyist agent
📈 [T]raffic & Attention: A church, a Pope, and Zillow Gone Wild
🔔 [S]eller Signals: 40,000 deals fell apart last month
Here’s today’s B.I.T.S. 👇
📈 [T]raffic & Attention: Listings getting the most views right now.
The listing where a pope once lived
The pope’s house just went viral ✝️
A dormant Gothic church in St. Louis just proved a timeless internet truth: a story travels farther than square footage.
The Immaculate Conception Church & Rectory in the Gate District hit the market for $1.8M with 25,000+ square feet across the church and rectory, 60-foot ceilings, three original rose windows, and seating for 500.
On paper, it’s already unusual.
But the moment the listing revealed that Pope Leo XIV (then Robert Prevost) lived in the rectory in 1977–78, the attention curve changed dramatically.
What’s instructive for agents is how the listing framed the property. Instead of leaning only on specs, the description positioned the building as potential:
“Seize the opportunity…”
“Create something extraordinary…”
That language invites imagination. It turns a former church into a future vision… an event venue, a community space, residences, creative redevelopment.
The listing doesn’t just describe what the property is. It hints at what it could become.
And that framing is what makes people share.
Because the listings that capture attention almost always combine three ingredients:
1. A narrative hook
In this case, a future pope once lived there.
2. Visual uniqueness
Gothic architecture, soaring ceilings, stained glass, aka content that photographs dramatically.
3. A sense of possibility
The copy encourages people to imagine what the next chapter could be.
Most listings won’t have papal history. But almost every listing has some version of a story:
The mid-century home that’s never hit the market.
The lake house that’s hosted the same family for 40 summers.
The neighborhood original where the first residents raised their kids.
The agents whose listings travel online aren’t just sharing properties.
They’re sharing stories people want to repeat.
Takeaway:
The internet doesn’t amplify square footage. It amplifies narratives.
When you find the story inside the listing and lead with it, the attention tends to follow.
Wednesday ✅
Here’s what we will be covering the rest of the week:Monday = [B]est in Class: $700K over the Zestimate
Tuesday = [I]deas That Work: The death of the hobbyist agent
Today = [T]raffic & Attention: A church, a Pope, and a viral listing
Tomorrow = [S]eller Signals: 40,000 deals fell apart last month
BONUS:
If you want to learn how to market your listings so that they go as viral as the pope’s, do not miss our upcoming class:
The Ultimate 90 Day Listing Marketing Plan
Most agents only have a plan that lasts a week. We have one that runs until the listing is sold, no matter how many days it’s on the market.
See you soon,
- Chris Smith and Jimmy Mackin
P.S. You can see all of the past editions of B.I.T.S. you may have missed here