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Some real estate brokers mail postcards to prospective clients. Others ask for referrals, knock on doors or cold-call. And some don a choppy black emo wig and post My Chemical Romance–inspired rock songs about the city they live in. That’s Kyle Huckabee.
In addition to Huckabee’s work as a licensed Realtor in Oregon and Washington specializing in the Mount Hood area, the 38-year-old performs on social media as his alter ego, Emo Realtor (instagram.com/kylehuckabee). He stars in music videos (created with the assistance of an AI music app) of songs about Portland real estate, such as “Portland East Side Breakdown.” The lyrics are cutting: “Alameda Hills broke my will to live / Cardio and classism, what a gift! / Woodstock looks like the ’90s stayed / Every Subaru bumping Green Day.”
“I have to get clients through social media in a crowded space,” Huckabee says. “I don’t want to make content I feel like I’m ‘supposed’ to be making—corporate, boring content.”
Huckabee started posting the music videos in May as a nostalgic creative outlet. It’s translating into a boost in engagement and business. (He’s up 20,000 followers out of his nearly 83,000 on Instagram in the past 90 days.) And after Emo Realtor made a video (complete with lots of death growls) for a recent listing in Vancouver, Wash., the house got seven offers and closed in 11 days. He likes to think the video had something to do with it but can’t be sure.
“My sellers love it,” he says.
And while Huckabee does not have a music or theater background, he does have a past in the entertainment industry. Keen-eyed reality TV consumers will recognize him as a cast member from Season 3 of TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé, which followed his relationship with his girlfriend, Noon, after she moved to New Orleans to be with him. The now-married couple just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, nine of which have been in Portland. Noon’s a cat groomer.
“She wanted to move here for the food,” Huckabee says.
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2025 here!
