Were you shocked when you heard that you must “brand” yourself to attract clients? Real estate coaches and gurus encourage real estate agents to “brand” ourselves. They say, “Your name and brand should just “pop” into the minds of consumers every time they vaguely think about real estate.” I have spent many hours in marketing seminars rolling my eyes as we were encouraged to think of ourselves as gaining such brand recognition as Nordstorm’s or Starbucks, Coke or Pepsi.
Today, if you want to be the Coke or the Pepsi of your real estate market then get ready to spend some money. The only way to achieve massive name recognition is to advertise everywhere, all the time. How do you to brand yourself in today’s competitive marketplace without spending a lot of money? Follow these 3 simple steps:
1. Get a Realtor sticker for your Laptop. Have laptop, will travel. Just recently I was planning to meet a friend for an early dinner nearby to my final appointment, which was a walkthrough prior to an early closing the next day. There was a plumbing leak, the house was vacant, so we scrambled to get a hold of the listing agent. The listing agent couldn’t find a plumber. I rushed into the cafe and opened the laptop to search for a plumber. A man at a neighboring booth saw the blue Realtor Logo on my laptop and called out, “Are you a Realtor?” I walked over and he was wearing a vest with a plumbing company logo. I said, “Are you a plumber?”
2. Customize your phone case. Wherever we go we have our phones with us. Some agents have phone pockets with their franchise logo or the Realtor logo. I have been with my colleagues who have their phone branded and it is definitely a conversation starter when they are out and about.
3. Invest in heavy duty business cards. How many times does someone hand you a flimsy business card? Sure, you put it in your pocket, get home and then throw it away. Order a business card that is a unique shape and on heavier paper stock. You may not think you are standing out at crowded networking events but when attendees sort through the evening’s array of cards your unique business card will set you apart.
If you want more tips and advice for succeeding in this business, check out my coaching programs for one-on-one coaching geared toward your questions and concerns.
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