When the owner of the Whitaker House came to us, the property had already spent more than seven months on the market the previous year without selling. He wanted to know what we would do differently.
Our answer started with the house itself.
Designed by architect Richard L. Whitaker as his own home, the property is built directly into Tahoe’s granite landscape, with expansive views of Lake Tahoe, more than 100 stairs from the street to the main living area, a detached guest apartment, Burton Creek State Park out the back door, and downtown Tahoe City just down the hill.
It was unlike anything else on the market, and we believed the marketing needed to be just as unique.
Rather than starting with a standard checklist of photography, video, open houses and advertising, we started with a different question:
What makes this particular home remarkable, and how do we help buyers experience that?
Here are a few of the answers.
Giving the Home a Name of Its Own
The property was widely known as the Whitaker House, a name that honored architect Richard L. Whitaker and his connection to the home.
We wanted to preserve that history while creating an identity that might intrigue an entirely new audience.
We introduced the property as High Camp, a name inspired by its elevated position above Tahoe City, its mountain setting and the experience of ascending through the granite landscape to reach it.
High Camp: Elevated Above the Ordinary.
We also secured HighCampTahoe.com, giving the property a memorable address of its own. The custom URL directed visitors to the complete listing experience, making it easy to connect every part of the campaign, from signs and printed materials to social media and the bear box QR code.
The Whitaker House remained central to the property’s history. High Camp gave us a new way to invite people into its next chapter.
Showing the Life, Not Just the House
One of the greatest things about the Whitaker House was everything surrounding it.
You could bike from the house along the path into Tahoe City, spend the afternoon boating from the Tahoe City Marina, hike directly into Burton Creek State Park, and come home to watch the evening light over Lake Tahoe from the deck.
So instead of creating a traditional real estate video that simply moved from room to room, we created a story around a day in the life of the house.
The video followed the lifestyle the home unlocked: biking, boating, exploring Tahoe and, finally, gathering with friends for cocktails on the deck.
The house was still the star. But we wanted buyers to imagine more than where their furniture might go. We wanted them to imagine what their Saturdays could look like.
Turning 100+ Stairs Into Part of the Story
There was no hiding one of the home’s most unusual characteristics: getting from the street to the main house meant climbing more than 100 stairs.
Instead of pretending they weren’t there, we leaned into them.
Halfway up, we installed a display telling the story of Richard L. Whitaker and the architecture of the home. It gave buyers a natural place to stop, catch their breath and understand why the house was built the way it was before continuing the ascent.
What could have simply been viewed as an objection became part of the experience of discovering the property.
Marketing to the People Already Passing By
The house sits across from a well-traveled bike and pedestrian path, but from the road, you would have very little idea what was hiding above you.
We wanted to change that.
We created a custom magnet for the property’s bear box featuring the home and a QR code where curious cyclists and walkers could learn more.
The QR code did more than satisfy someone’s curiosity in the moment. When someone chose to visit the property page, we could continue sharing the story with them through videos, architectural details and other property-focused advertising online.
It wasn’t something you’d find on a typical real estate marketing checklist. But for this house, in this location, it made perfect sense.
Putting the Home on the Map: Literally
Location was another part of the property that was difficult to appreciate from an MLS listing.
While researching Richard L. Whitaker and the history of the home, we discovered through his architecture school archives that he also painted watercolors. That became the inspiration for a custom watercolor-style map, both a way to show the property’s surroundings and a subtle homage to the architect who created it.
The map illustrated the home in relation to downtown Tahoe City, the marina, nearby trails, Burton Creek State Park and the lake.
Rather than simply telling buyers that the property offered access to an incredible Tahoe lifestyle, the map helped them see how it all connected, through an artistic style with a meaningful connection to Whitaker himself.
Getting People to Experience It
Some homes make more sense once you’re standing inside them.
This was one of them.
We hosted a happy hour on the deck where agents and potential buyers could experience the property in a completely different way than they would during a 20-minute showing.
With drinks in hand, people lingered. They explored. They watched the view change as the afternoon went on.
For a few hours, the house wasn’t simply a listing.
It felt like someone’s Tahoe home.
Taking the Story Beyond Traditional Real Estate Marketing
A house this unusual also had the potential to capture the attention of people who weren’t actively scrolling through Tahoe listings.
We pursued exposure outside the usual real estate channels, ultimately landing the property on Zillow Gone Wild, an account with 2.3 million followers, as well as several other large architecture and home-focused social media channels.
That introduced the Whitaker House to an audience far beyond the buyers who might have discovered it through a conventional property search.
The Point Isn’t to Do This Again
The Whitaker House has now sold, but the biggest takeaway from the campaign isn’t that every listing needs a bear box QR code, an architecture exhibit or a lifestyle video involving a boat.
In fact, it’s the opposite.
None of those ideas may make sense for the next home we sell.
Every property has something different that makes it compelling. Sometimes it’s the architecture. Sometimes it’s a backyard that opens onto miles of trails. It might be a dock where generations of a family have spent their summers, a neighborhood people rarely want to leave, or simply a home that makes Tahoe life remarkably easy.
Our job is to find that story.
Then we build the marketing around it.
Because buyers in Tahoe aren’t simply comparing bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage. They’re imagining what their life could look like here.
What story does your Tahoe home have to tell?
No two homes should be marketed the same way. If you’re considering selling, we’d be happy to help identify what makes your property compelling and how to put that story in front of the right buyers.
Tell us a little about your home, and let’s start the conversation.
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