With so much interest in Toronto housing sales, local real estate marketing is more competitive than ever. One trend that's gained some traction over the last few years is lifestyle videos that go beyond the standard property tour.

Instead of merely showing you the property, these sequences are meant to animate the space with people who enjoy an alluring lifestyle, and ideally to establish an emotional connection with the prospective buyer.

Toronto realtor Karyn Filiatrault has made a name producing such videos for her listings, including a recent one for a penthouse unit at 318 King St. East. It's probably the most elaborate and, at times, bizarre advertisement for a condo that I've seen.

The film has generated a bit of buzz for its depiction of a business dinner that threatens to be derailed when the host repeatedly spills food and drink on herself while preparing dinner.

"It's super tongue-in-cheek and meant to make people laugh," Filiatrault explains. "I'm clumsy myself, so that's the inspiration for the plot line. The spills take her to the various rooms of the unit."

With a background as a television producer, Filiatrault writes and directs her lifestyle films with an eye for the unconventional. "They tend to be more engaging when they're glossy and sexy, but those aren't the only ones I do. It depends on the client and the property."

A previous film, for instance, follows a young girl around as she searches for her stuffed animals and invades the cookie jar, while another involves a maid sizing up a condo owner as he looks for his lost wallet.

In general, the sex appeal is dialed up for films about condos, as the buying market is younger.

A criticism that's been made of the recent King East film is that it supports conventional gender roles with the men talking business as the female host scrambles to prepare a meal.

Filiatrualt doesn't see it that way, though. "This is a strong woman who's put together and engaging," she explains. "I'm a strong woman myself and not in the business of creating fanciful stories to degrade women."

The dramatic food spills are meant to be funny and attention grabbing, which is one of the reasons why they're so outlandish. The whole purpose, she explains, is to create a visual record of the property that stands out from the pack.