The meticulous sales strategy behind Vancouver’s ‘White Mansion’

When Clarence Debelle, Realtor with Royal Pacific Lion’s Gate Realty, took on the $38.8-million listing for one of West Vancouver’s most unique luxury properties — a sprawling white mansion on Crestline Road with a private casino, custom-designed, hand-cut-and-built, leaded glass dome and three elevators — he approached it the same way he does every home, just on a larger scale.

A key reason Debelle was chosen to represent the property is his attention to detail. “I really studied the property,” he says. “There’s a list of special features 10 pages long (that) took (many) days to create.”

That kind of meticulous preparation is central to Debelle’s approach, especially with ultra-luxury listings where he needs to speak knowledgeably about every finish, system and feature. “It’s not enough to take someone through a home and say, ‘Great home.’ I have a responsibility to really study it.”

Standing out in a crowded market

Luxury listings in Metro Vancouver are not short on spectacle, but this particular home, dubbed West Vancouver’s “White Mansion,” has a set of features that even seasoned Realtors will rarely encounter.

Guests enter through massive brass doors into a 38-foot-high great room under a custom-designed, hand-built stained-glass dome.

The home also includes a professional-grade private casino with blackjack, roulette and slot machines accessed through a hidden door, and a dedicated Stefano Ricci-designed office and library, which, Debelle notes, is the first of its kind in Canada.

Asked whether special filings were required for the private casino, he says no and clarifies, “It’s really a games room. We’re not running a casino for the public.”

Beyond that, the home is outfitted with a spa featuring dry and steam saunas and a plunge pool, a chef’s kitchen designed for large-scale entertaining and intricate marble finishes throughout — virtually no drywall exists in the house.

Marketing with intention — and budget

Marketing a property of this calibre demands more than the standard suite of photos and MLS exposure. Debelle invests heavily in layered campaigns that include lengthy photo shoots, bespoke floor plans and glossy coffee-table style books that can run over 100 pages because, he feels, “It’s the best way to market, but it’s also important that my client knows I’ve done everything — and more than anyone else.”

Each book he produces is property-tailored, written in detail and translated into Mandarin to reach a global audience. He likens the effort required to “doing a paper at university.”

When it comes to the floor plans, Debelle personally reviews each room to ensure accuracy. 

And he doesn’t stop at a single photo shoot. “I do three to five shoots (that) cost a ton of time (and) money. And I’m there with the photographer, so that we capture the images we need to present (the property).”

The listing is also being promoted across international luxury media, including on multiple magazine covers in September alone.

Still, Debelle avoids splashy Realtor-only parties or open houses. “This is not a place for Realtors to get some free sushi and chat with each other. This is a serious home that deserves serious respect,” he says. Only pre-qualified buyers, accompanied by their agents, are allowed through the door.

The art of the showing

Debelle’s background as a lawyer informs how he conducts showings, which can run three hours or longer. Each and every move is intentional.

“When I do a showing, it’s like being in court. Everything I do, every word I say, every step I take, where I stand, where I look, is all done for a reason. Nothing is arbitrary … I’m thinking all the time,” he explains.

He also builds space into the process, offering prospective buyers time to absorb the home, sit quietly and discuss privately with their Realtor.

“There should always be a time when I’m just a real estate agent representing the seller, (meaning) it’s important for me at some point to suggest that I back away and let (them) walk through on their own, to speak freely among themselves.”

The takeaway for Realtors

While the scale of West Vancouver’s “White Mansion” sets it apart, Debelle insists that his approach doesn’t — and shouldn’t — change with price point.

“The way I do this listing is exactly how I do every other listing, just on a bigger scale. I give the same time and attention to a $1.8 million home as I do to this. Every home is deserving of the same dedication, regardless of price point.”

For Realtors, the takeaway is clear: studying the property in detail, marketing it with thoughtfulness and precision and presenting it with humility and respect can be what sets you apart.

As Debelle puts it, “My biggest objective is they have to like me as a person. I’m very understated, humble and respectful … I’m just a real estate agent (putting) out plastic open house signs on the weekends.”