The George Costanza Rule of Real Estate(Do the Opposite — and Win the House Everyone Missed)

TL;DR

In real estate, the crowd is usually wrong. When everyone rushes one way, look the other. Doing the opposite can unlock homes, and deals, others overlook.

George Costanza did the opposite and got everything he wanted. So should you.

In one of Seinfeld’s best episodes, George Costanza hits rock bottom. Every decision he’s ever made has been wrong.
So he decides to try the opposite.
He orders chicken salad instead of tuna. He talks to the woman he’d normally avoid. He even tells the truth. bluntly. And just like that, everything turns around.

That’s not just comedy, it’s behavioral economics in a bad haircut.

In real estate, most buyers act like pre-opposite George. They chase what everyone else wants: quiet streets, white kitchens, perfect lawns. Then they wonder why they’re paying 10% more and losing bids.

Do the opposite.

If a house backs to power lines, but you’re the kind of person who doesn’t care — that’s your edge.
If a place near Eglin’s flight path means planes instead of peace, and you find that oddly comforting, even better.

As Rory Sutherland would say, value is perception, not perfection. And the late Roy Brooks, the brutally honest London agent, proved it decades ago by advertising homes as “unmodernized wrecks” and selling them faster.

Here along the Emerald Coast, Uber Realty helps buyers and sellers think like Costanza contrarian, clear-eyed, and free from the herd.

Because in this market, doing the opposite isn’t crazy.
It’s profitable.

How To: Be the George Costanza of Home Buying

1. Identify your herd instincts.
   What features do you assume you must have? Question them.

2. Flip your filters.
   Sort by “longest on market” instead of “newest.” That’s where deals hide.

3. Tell the truth even when it hurts.
   Admit what really matters to you. Half of “must-haves” are ego, not need.

4. Love the flaw.
   Noise, traffic, paint color — if it doesn’t bother you, it’s free money.

5. Call before you scroll.
   Uber Realty can show you the homes algorithms and buyers ignore — where smart contrarians win.

FAQ

Q1: What does “doing the opposite” mean in real estate?
A1: It means looking where others don’t — the homes with quirks or longer DOM that often sell below market.

Q2: Isn’t that risky?
A2: Only if you skip due diligence. The risk isn’t in the home — it’s in overpaying for popularity.

Q3: How can Uber Realty help me spot these opportunities?
A3: We analyze local data to find undervalued listings and teach clients how to think like investors, not followers.