Mary Tyler Moore's Death Creates Problems for Famous House

Mary Tyler Moore's death has created a big problem for a real estate company that is trying to sell the house used in her iconic TV show -- how do you sell it without creating a fan frenzy?

The exteriors of the house were featured for years on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," although interiors were shot on a Hollywood soundstage.

Get this ... the house, listed by Barry Berg and Chad Larsen with Berg Larsen Group of Coldwell Banker Burnet, went on the market 4 years ago and no one was biting. The people who bought it paid nearly $3 mil but they're trying to unload it for a skosh under $1.7 mil.

Here's the problem. MTM is an institution in Minneapolis, and Mary's death has people in the city scrambling for memories. The realtors want to hold an open house this weekend, but they don't want lookie-loos ... they want serious buyers.

So, the plan now is to discreetly tell realtors to bring clients and then quietly invite them.

Good luck.