Some weeks back, I read an article about Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and it really got my gears turning. Not initially because of what was in the article, but because of what was missing.
One simple word.
Realtor.
In reading the article (my apologies...I can't find the damn link), it spoke about how BH&G was really striving to do things differently. Of course, every company says that and it's usually said merely to try to color your perception of the abject sameness they're about to foist upon you. lol
The article spoke about the code of ethics BH&G real estate agents adhere to, but there was no mention of the word "Realtor." I don't even recall a mention of NAR, and then I really got to thinking. Ruth Stafford Peale's quote "Find a need and fill it" started welling around in my head.
So what's the need?
The real estate business is in need of a complete image and marketing overhaul. And those damn NAR radio spots I keep hearing just aren't going to do it. They're well done ads, but they're unmemorable and they don't change the picture in consumers' heads. This kind of complacency leaves an entity vulnerable.
Although it has been in existance since the late 1970's, I personally had never heard of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate until just a few months ago. Hate to admit it, but it's true. Better Homes and Gardens was a magazine I remember my mom reading while I was growing up. I use myself as a layman's example to illustrate their lack of brand awareness.
Then came their rebirth in 2008 as a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation: "The revitalized brand, conceived and launched in the span of nine months from October 2007 to July 2008, was to be different from any other real estate brand. To that end, it became the first of its kind to announce its arrival on Twitter, Facebook and to launch a corporate real estate brand blog - Clean Slate Blog. And it aligned itself with the self-directed consumer, rusing a respected brand with innovative technology and social media capabilities."
Whether BH&G is potential competition for NAR or merely another real estate brand trying to stand out, I truly don't know. What I do know is their timing couldn't have been better and they made the leap into social media before NAR or any of the real estate brands. I personally think NAR, in many ways, has become too corporate for its own good and any potential competition is good. Where is the warmth and humanity in NAR's presentation to consumers? Compare the home pages for yourself: Realtor.com vs BHGRealestate.com.
Which one was warmer to you? Without scrolling down on each page, notice which page has people on it and which one doesn't. If you forget people, they will forget you.
Now, I know no company is perfect and there are cons as well as pros for both of these entities. I do believe, however, that companies without true competition run the danger of becoming stagnant. I have no idea if BH&G Real Estate is positioning itself as competition for NAR, per se', but I do know they've made some very smart moves before anyone else and were willing to risk social media when most companies (including NAR) weren't taking it seriously. Their timing and their focus on people will, I hope, at least challenge NAR to honestly reach out to consumers instead of being NARcisistic.
If nothing else, I hope that reading this and looking at the two examples will inspire you to go beyond what NAR or your real estate company does for you in terms of your marketing and imaging, if you already haven't. The real estate business needs a complete image overhaul and the answer is you.
No company can do it for you. People don't trust companies.
They trust people.
It's all in your hands. Let your humanity shine!
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