Here’s what happens when a Canberra PR professional puts their house on the market

Kristen Zotti is used to getting a lot of attention.

For her clients mostly — she’s been in the business of public relations and media management for more than a decade. But the owner of Zotts & Co recently took on one of the most challenging PR projects of her career: her own house.

Making the move from Flynn to Weetangera, Kristen’s stunning home - styled by Kristen herself thanks to “hours and hours of Pinterest research” and renovated by husband Mark - is up for auction on Saturday 15 April 2023.

Originally from Griffith NSW, she and Mark (from Bowral) met in their first week on campus at the University of Canberra 15 years ago.

“We bought our house on Christmas Eve in 2015,” Kristen recalls.

“We moved in and started renovations, then got married a few months later — it was a big year!”

Here are three things Kristen is doing to make sure her home stands out in the market ahead of auction. (And they’re all things you can totally copy!)

1. Giving potential buyers a ‘taste’ of the local cafe.

Those who inspect the three-bedroom, two-bathroom property are given a voucher for a free coffee at the local (Melba) shops.

“A big part of the reason we love our house so much is the neighbourhood,” Kristen says.

“Our favourite weekend activity is going for a walk to Melba shops and getting coffee and treats from Cafe Mamè.

“The kids love going there too and we always visit the playground on the way home. It's always such a great vibe, the staff are amazing and look after us. We wanted to give potential owners a taste of what life is like in our community.”

2. Hosting an easter egg hunt for the children of potential buyers.

“Our home is the perfect family home, and selling over Easter provided a fun opportunity to run a collaboration with Enigma Fine Chocolates in the photo shoot for our listing,” Kristen says.

“We have an open home scheduled for Easter Saturday, so our agents are also running a little Easter egg hunt for potential buyers’ children that day.

“It’s a beautiful way to show off the garden.”

3. Engaging a real estate agency that thinks differently.

When appointing an agency to sell her home, Kristen was looking for sophisticated marketing and creative thinking.

“Home.by holly really stands out from the rest,” she says.

“Their strategy to highlight the story behind the home and give it personality really appealed to Mark and I, especially because we both work in PR.

“We wanted to try to do things a little differently - we wrote a letter to our neighbours, giving them the scoop on our house going on the market in case they had anyone they wanted to welcome to our lovely quiet street.

“Every idea we have had they've taken it and run with it - it's been such an amazing collaborative experience, and we have been so impressed with the results so far.”

What is Kristen hoping the new owners enjoy about the home?

“Watching a beautiful Canberra sunset sitting on the deck is something special, but there is so much to love about this house,” she says.

“It's ready to move in - the new owners won't have to lift a finger, except to add their own personal touch. We hope that whoever ends up here will love it just as much as we have and make beautiful memories for years to come.”

Number 21 Ferguson Place, Flynn, goes to auction at 12 noon on Saturday 15 April 2023.

View the full listing.