As a real estate agent, you’ll inevitably get a real estate listing that isn’t easy to sell. However, not all agents have the opportunity (or the nightmare!) of selling a listing with notably creepy and scary features or a haunted history. I’ve gathered 11 of the most creepy real estate listings and tips to help you sell even the spooOOookiest of properties.
1. Isolated Smith Point Lighthouse
Thalassophobia, anyone? Whether or not you have a fear of the ocean, this home fits our criteria for both weird houses and nightmare Zillow listings. At $450,000, 0 Smith Point Rd. may sit (or float) on the market for a while. Additionally, we have questions. Where does the plumbing lead? What kind of inspector can you hire for this property?
Tips for listing agents:
While the 1,500 square feet of the interior leaves a lot to be desired, any agent listing this property could certainly lean into its status on the National Historic Registry within their marketing strategy. Plus, you could consider networking with people in the US Coastguard or the local fishing industry to generate targeted leads.
2. (Probably) Haunted Georgia 1800s Mansion
The front of this Georgia home will probably make you and your potential homebuyers think of Casper, the friendly ghost. The five-bedroom, one-bath house is part of a historic district of 28 homes, all built from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s. While this home may not be haunted, we can’t say the same for all the other homes in the district.
It’s interesting to note that if this home were in New York state, sellers would have to sign a disclosure if they thought it was haunted. Seriously! See even more weird & wacky real estate facts if you don’t believe it. However, since that isn’t required in Georgia, enter at your own risk. In fact–even the listing description advises agents to “use caution when showing.”
Tips for listing agents:It’s always helpful to lean into the unique features of a home in your listing marketing plan, and this Pendelton-Graves mansion is a prime example of 1900’s architecture. Another strong feature is that it’s part of a historic district. Of course, you don’t have to advertise that it made it to our list of creepy real estate listings.
3. Remodeled Cincinnati Church
Whether or not you’re a person of faith, I can’t imagine living in this remodeled Cincinnati church would feel warm and cozy. While the home is completely updated and modern, one of the large living spaces features a large church organ, giving off a creepy and unsettling vibe.
Combined with the dark curtains and interior, parts of the home feel a bit like a place to listen to an obituary rather than unwind after work. Listed at $1.6 Million, this five-bedroom house will definitely require an eccentric buyer who doesn’t bother with interior design trends.
Tips for listing agents:
At 9,765 square feet, an agent would be wise to market its business potential as a venue or Airbnb. To generate leads for a home like this, think about reaching out to other business owners in the neighborhood or even networking with groups of similar entrepreneurs in Cincinnati.
Remodeled Cincinnati church (Source: Finn Team Real Estate)
Remodeled Cincinnati church (Source: Finn Team Real Estate)
Remodeled Cincinnati church (Source: Finn Team Real Estate)
4. McMansion Ghost Town
These nightmare Zillow listings were built in 2006 as the first part of a $1.6 billion resort called Indian Ridge Resort. It was set on a plot of 26 acres and was going to be the second-largest indoor water park in the country. However, the companies involved in the construction project pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, and these half-built mansions and hotels were abandoned for decades. It’s hard to imagine a hotel this creepy!
Tips for listing agents:
Indian Ridge Resort was finally purchased by Silver Dollar City, a local theme park, and demolition began in 2022. In this unique case, the property has received extensive publicity that could be leveraged to make a business more profitable. For a real estate agent, I’d recommend networking and focusing on large businesses with ideas on how to leverage this land and publicity for their profits.
5. Coffin-filled Baltimore Home
This monochromatic Baltimore home immediately brings you face-to-face with images of guillotines, skulls, and coffins of various sizes. Aside from being dark and gloomy, this one-bedroom, one-bath home features a detached garage covered in a creepy mural and a cemetery replica (we hope).
Tips for listing agents:
Real estate statistics show that the average sale price of homes sold with a realtor is 35% higher than the sale price of homes sold by the owner. With a nightmare Zillow listing like this one, it’s important for a potential listing agent to show these kinds of numbers to the owners. Homeowners often believe home-selling myths and need an agent who is clear and honest with them about the process and the finances.
Plus, the listing states that the sellers made many improvements to this home. Even though their interior design style may differ from that of the masses, it’s clear that they meticulously cared for their home. It’s smart to use this knowledge to market the home to eager buyers who want a home that’s been maintained.
6. Modern Goth Victorian Home
Victorian and Gothic homes are getting some attention in current real estate trends. This Austin home has a dark and eerie exterior that is quintessential to Gothic-style homes, although the interior is modern and inviting. The ominous exterior and dark touches throughout, like the black and white marble fireplace, make this a great fit for a modern homebuyer who wants a beautiful home with a very subtle sense of spookiness. Among all the creepy houses for sale, this is one I’d actually choose to live in.
Tips for listing agents:Unlike a few of the other nightmare Zillow listings on this list, this home was built by boutique design firms and has multiple features that naturally attract buyers. For instance, the energy-efficient steel garage door is a green building feature, and the smart lighting and technology features will attract a modern buyer. Listed at $3.7 million, this smart home should be marketed to a luxury audience.
Modern Gothic Victorian home (Source: Revent Builds)
Modern Gothic Victorian home (Source: Revent Builds)
Modern Gothic Victorian home (Source: Revent Builds)
7. Victorian Home in Pennsylvania (or Transylvania?)
This five-bedroom Victorian transports you directly into the 1800s. Although subtle, everything from the chandeliers to the dark wallpaper and wood paneling gives off an unsettling feeling. Everything in the home has been well preserved, making you wonder if it features preserved spirits as well.
Tips for listing agents:This 4,000-square-foot home is listed at $475,000, an extremely reasonable price. Real estate trends have shown that home prices are leveling out after spiking for a few years, so this slightly creepy real estate listing could be an incredible opportunity for Pennsylvania home buyers. An ideal way to market this listing would be to promote it on a Victorian homes tour. Plus, the age of this home could make it especially appealing to local history lovers.
For more details about the state of the market, read 17 Real Estate Charts That Reveal the Truth About the Housing Market.
8. Not-so-Medieval Michigan Castle
There’s something mysterious and eerie about any home that requires a drawbridge to enter. This medieval castle sits on six acres and has 26 rooms, an elevator, five fireplaces, and a Tudor-style pub. If the exterior isn’t creepy enough, it should be noted to any potential buyers that the home also features hidden doors, hidden passageways, and a hidden staircase.
You might assume this castle was built centuries ago, but it was actually built in 1990. I can only wonder why such a unique property was built and what kind of spooky (and probably fun!) events happened here. Plus, the home is listed at $2.2 million, which seems pretty affordable for a 60-foot castle.
Tips for listing agents:
With a property as unique as this, featuring hidden passageways and doors, an open house would be a huge hit. Plus, it seems only logical that a Medieval Castle deserves to be marketed across architectural websites, the pages of Architectural Digest, and local home tours. If the knight in armor doesn’t draw in any leads, surely the Tudor-style pub would.
This is far from the only interesting history lesson I’ve found in the real estate industry. Learn about another fascinating real estate development in the 1900s—Sears Catalog Homes.
9. Questionable Indianapolis Mansion
From some angles, this Indianapolis mansion could be appealing. It sits on more than an acre and a half and includes a main house, guest house, ballroom, conference center, pool house, a two-story apartment, and multiple storage units. However, more than a few home features could send a chill down your spine–and a few might make you scratch your head. For example, the large stone piece in one of the bedrooms doesn’t exactly make you feel warm and cozy.
Tips for listing agents:
This property is extremely spacious and was listed at only $690,000—that’s only $23 per square foot! There are many ways that the right buyer could transform this property into an Airbnb business or an attraction, so listing agents would be smart to promote this listing in groups of entrepreneurs.
10. Confusing & Sinister Virginia Home
This creepy real estate listing in Bristow, Virginia, has a contrast of relatively normal rooms and extremely spooky ones, which somehow make it even more sinister. Right next to a spacious living room with a blue accent wall is a main hallway that looks like the path to a dungeon. Plus, one wall has a partially hidden cutout.
Tips for listing agents:
With a home like this one, it’s best to address the dark features head-on. If you hide the creepy elements from the listing, you will probably waste a lot of time and energy on shocked homebuyers who are not okay with having a hallway dungeon. Instead, you can play on the unique features to attract a targeted audience who may enjoy these features as much as the previous owners.
11. Missouri Cabin & Ghost Town
There are a lot of creepy things about a deserted cabin in the woods, but this one takes the cake. With over 20 acres and multiple structures, it resembles a ghost town. Some of the structures date back to 1830, and some are replicas from the 20th century. The mixture of deserted land along with an old jailhouse, schoolhouse, and cabin would surely keep any neighbors far away from these creepy houses for sale.
Tips for listing agents:
Although the property definitely has an eerie feel, the amount of land would still be appealing to many real estate investors. Drone footage could be a helpful tool to show the amount of space for sale and the potential of the structures.
Bringing It All Together
After seeing Gothic homes, old Victorian homes, homes filled with coffins, creepy cabins, and castles, I’ve still only scratched the surface of creepy real estate listings. Even the creepiest houses can be sold with the right strategy, but some agents just don’t want to test it out. Would you take a real estate listing if it were as creepy as these homes?
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