Real estate agent uses 'Tyrannosaurus Rex' to promote Texas home

Remember the real estate agent who dressed up in a panda suit to try and sell a home in Spring, Texas? It worked like a charm, and got her 12 showings in the first two days. You can't argue with that kind of success.

But you can move up the food chain. The real estate agent selling this two-bedroom, one-bathroom lake house in Granbury, TX, has hired an extra straight from the Cretaceous era to help out with the listing photos: a giant T. Rex.

Among the lovely shots of hardwood floors, lake views and a screened-in patio, we see ol' Tyrannosaurus raiding the fridge, taking a nap, fishing in the lake, and even mowing the grass. That's pretty impressive for a guy with such tiny arms, no?

"We came up with the idea a few years ago and have been waiting for the right client and right house to try it," explains listing agent Casey Lewis. "It was a great way to get extra exposure to an already great property."

Quite apart from filling in as a "Jurassic Park" testing facility, the 796-square-foot house has a fireplace, two porches and a deck, and access to a community boat slip around the corner. The asking price was just $89,900.

So did it work? "The reach was amazing," says Lewis. "The listing has been featured on local news, shared hundreds of times on social media, and I’ve received calls from all over the country asking for information about the property."

Lewis had over 45 showings, and was in contract within the first two days. It might be a goofy gimmick, but it certainly did the trick. The real question is, why aren't more real estate agents putting on wacky animal costumes for listing photos? Next time someone tells you they'll do what it takes to sell your home, send them to the costume shop.

This post originally appeared on Realtor.com as "Dinosaur Days: How a T. Rex Costume Helped Dress Up a Texas Home."