Personal Branding...does it really matter? (TEST INSIDE)

Russel,

Thank you so much for your wonderful compliments and for adding us to your Personal Referral list! Given what you do for a living, that means a lot to me!

By the way....LOL...why Hemet?? For those who aren't familiar with Southern California, Hemet is halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. It's a small ex-retirement community, which used to boast the highest bank deposits per capita than anywhere else in the country! I moved here 7 years ago when I bought a duplex as an investment. It needed rehab work (I was selling real estate at the time.) I decided I needed a vacation, since I hadn't taken one in over a million years (yes, you read that correctly!). Anyway, I had just closed 9 transactions the month before, and thought.."I'm gonna take 6 months off...fix up my new toy...and then go back to Riverside to continue my real estate career." Well...I never moved back. I love the relaxed pace and the new emerging personality that Hemet offers...and I'm close enough to everywhere to hop in the car and go (and still come back!!!)

Thanks for commenting Russel. I'm quite certain you and I will be speaking in the future!

Martha,

I wish our website was finished! We began a complete overhaul on it about 5 months ago....and haven't had the time to work on it at all. We've simply been too busy! Isn't that what always happens??? The barber needs a haircut, the dentist has a cavity, etc. You can still download a few of our order forms at the site (our Business Card Order Form is the one that includes the Personal Branding information).

PLUS, we're taking 20% off our pricing for all ActiveRain members for the time being, and including a custom blog header along with 5,000 2-sided full-color high-gloss business cards as part of the branding package too!! You should go have a look!!

Roger,

It's so easy to put marketing on our "Things To Do" list, isn't it??? I mean, haven't we got enough things to do already??? I see agents all across A/R trying to figure out how to do their own flyers, their own websites, their own postcards, etc. Seems to me they're taking valuable time away from their real estate businesses! Our most successful customers are the ones who devote the majority of their time to actually selling real estate! They don't wish to become graphic designers....nor webmasters. They simply want to BE their best....while looking their best...and they partner with us to handle the "looking their best" part!

You should call us. We can probably help...and we're not that expensive at all! I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my post! Thank you!!

Judy,

We'd love to be your marketing partner whenever you're ready!! I already LOVE where you're going with the development of your brand! "Blurbs from the Burbs" and the imaging you're doing with your blog and personal website. Seems it only needs a little tweaking here and there. We can help...and it won't cost you an arm and a leg! I may need to steal a lock of hair...but it'll grow back, I promise! :P

Give me a call sometime! Talking doesn't cost anything! You can always reach me at (951) 652-8365 -PST-.   I think that conversation would be fun! Thanks for commenting!

Dennis,

Excellent suggestion!!!! That's a book that, although NOT real estate related, can definitely help you understand why branding is so important...and how even major corporations get it wrong sometimes.

Example:

Corvette.   

As soon as you read that, you know what it means. You probably even know who makes it. And it completely stands on its own merits. But watch this...

Name 5 other models built by Chevrolet.

Umm...Impala (do they still make those?)....and....um....the uhhh....Monte Carlo? Wait, are those still in production??? We're just not sure anymore, are we? And THAT is killing Chevrolet!

Oh, we all know that Chevrolet is a car company. We just don't know anything about their cars, that's all. And they are HURTING because of it. Probably to the point of not being around much longer!! How sad is that??

It's kinda like Century 21. If you work for one of their offices, that's great. Everyone knows they sell real estate. Problem is....if you haven't begun developing your own personal brand...people may not remember you either! You need to become a Corvette, not just another Chevrolet model!!

Thanks Dennis! Great point!

Nannette,

You're welcome!! Hey, even if you just want to talk about branding, to get some ideas, call me. I love a lot of what you're already doing...and may have some thoughts/ideas/suggestions to incorporate into the existing brand you're building. Let me know if I can help!

Pam,

Thank you soooooo much!! We endeavor to create an impressive and memorable look for all of our customers. Something that stands out from the rest of the crowd...and becomes immediately identifiable when a buyer or seller thinks anything real estate! I'm glad you like our work. We'll be here whenever you're ready!!

Evelyn,

You've hit the nail on the head! PERFECTLY!!! From a mile away, someone should be able to tell it's YOUR billboard (if you did billboards I mean.) I'm not suggesting that by the way....I'm just saying that your point is EXACTLY correct! Every single piece of marketing that you put out....HAS to have the same "look and feel" in order to be effective. Your business cards, flyers, signs, presentation binders, postcards, websites, etc. ALL of it has to match.

McDonalds doesn't use blue arches over here....and golden arches over there. It'd be silly. Oh sure, they can be the same arches...but we've already come to know that they're golden arches...against a red background. To put blue on brown would almost be upsetting in a way!!! YIKES! The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!

Same thing with real estate. I see some agents with well-branded business cards, but no identity whatsoever with their flyers, or their postcards, or especially their signage!! Huge mistakes! But I also know it can be costly to revamp everything at once. So you start out small...and work from there. We're pretty good at that kind of stuff...and can help guide you toward the creation of a total brand (even if it means taking it one step at a time.)

Thank you for reinforcing what this post is all about!!! I really appreciate it!!

Steve,

Naturally, you're correct! I know you're referring to all the little things we do in our business (and personal) roles. But here's an example of something I see a lot.

An agent uses a 15-year old photo in her branding. It's all over town. When you finally MEET her, her hair color isn't the same. It's blonde, not brown. She also now has short hair, not long. She's a bit bustier than her photo implies...and she's not wearing glasses. All the while, you're too busy thinking "Oh...um....YOU'RE Sally??? My goodness, you don't look at ALL like what we were expecting". That kind of stuff can backfire. You almost become slightly suspicious in a weird way.

And make sure if you're at Starbucks taking a break...and talking on your cellphone to your assistant...that you're NOT saying "Yeah, that seller is becoming a real pain in the ***". If you're wearing a name badge...or hop into your car that has magnetic signs announcing to the world who you are...you've just blown it to anyone who was within earshot of your conversation. And they won't mind telling anyone they meet (who even SUGGESTS they're considering choosing you as their Realtor)...what their thoughts are!

Good points Steve (as always).

Christina,

Face photos are important if it's an individual brand you're building. It's interesting to note that my business card does NOT have my photo on it. Instead, it prominently displays the FlyersToYou logo, because THAT'S what I'm selling. My company.

In your situation...it's a TEAM...and what you guys have done is excellent. The sailboat on the lake. Immediately recognizable!

Here's an example of that same concept.

We did a marketing makeover for a hot air balloon company recently. They had no identity. In fact, their marketing was a bit "amateurish", even though they'd paid a designer quite a bit of money to create it. But it evoked no emotion...and certainly didn't seem to warrant choosing this company over any of their competitors. Below is a screenshot showing the before and after.




One gives a more romantic, elegant and professional feel than the other. Erick (the owner of the company) called me shortly after we posted his new website online to tell me that EVERY single one of his callers said they chose HIS COMPANY over the others because of his website. Erick's company is slightly more expensive than others, but right off the bat, you feel like you're getting more for your money. People even said they felt safer with his company because of how professional they appeared to be.

So yes...agents can learn SEO (Search Engine Optimization) until they're blue in the face. BUT...if their BRAND is lacking, prospective customers will simply move on to someone they feel more comfortable with. Someone who LOOKS like they can handle the sale of a $500,000 home!!

Thanks for commenting Christina!


Dave

Hi Katerina!!

I was busy typing away at my overly-long responses...when you were typing your comment! I didn't mean to leave you out! LOL!

I know where you're coming from...but I have very mixed emotions about it.

Example:



The above listing brochure would be an incredibly valuable listing tool no matter where it was used. Oregon, California, Texas, Kansas, Massachusetts, Georgia, etc. Sellers unanimously flip when you show them THIS kind of marketing versus a homespun inkjetted flyer.

Oh...I know there are people who look at SOME agent branding with skepticism. They feel it's a tad bit too egotistical. And there are several reasons for that.

Agents who use "foo-foo" shots in their branding come across as, well..."FOO FOO!!!" And if they're holding 9 cats, three dogs and a hamster, people just think it looks silly and unprofessional. Part of that stems from the public's general perception of REALTORS too though, not simply from the fact that an agent has incorporated branding into their marketing.

But this is exactly why we feel that an agent should utilize the skills of a real marketing company. Someone who understands branding...and who's had experience in developing universally accepted materials for agents across the country.

We know that certain fonts evoke certain emotions.


Yet, we see agents fiddling around with Microsoft Publisher and "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing" at 'creative' fonts they've never used before.

It's a huge mistake...and definitely doesn't represent professional branding in its best light.

We also see the wrong color schemes being used.



Here are two exact same rectangles with the same lettering and font...but using different colors. One also has no filter effects like embossing, lighting or drop shadows because the agent's software simply doesn't have it. The bottom one is universally more appealing. It wouldn't matter where you're located, or how old you are...or from what economic class you belong. It's simply the one that 99.9% of people would choose.

Thus...I know what you're talking about in terms of some areas having resistance to real estate branding. But it's not the BRANDING they're resistant to. It's how the branding was carried out or implemented that bothers them!

When done right...it absolutely and definitively separates you apart from the competition. When done wrong, you'll lose business because the client simply doesn't want THAT ugly of a sign in their front yard!!!

(Hope you guys are doing great!)

Dve

Jim,

Hmmm....there's a GREAT part of your response...and a part that concerns me a little as a marketeer.

The GREAT part is that you totally understand branding and marketing enough to ensure that people get to know you as a Realtor! Your clothes...your car...etc. BUT...the part that concerns me is WHO are you promoting??? If everything you're doing has the ubiquitous Century 21 gold and black, you might be promoting more Century 21 than Jim Frimmer!! That can work well in the short term, but what happens if you ever make an office change?? You have to re-train your customers. If someone ELSE drives the familiar Century 21 car....and wears the familiar Century 21 shirt....they may be able to capitalize on the branding YOU did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Meanwhile...you're stuck with the prospects of re-teaching them that "Silver and Blue" is now what means real estate.

My thoughts are that it might not be a bad idea to introduce a little more Jim Frimmer into the mix. Don't make it drastic. But I would make sure that, no matter WHAT happens in the future....it's JIM FRIMMER they associate with real estate....NOT Century 21!

Thanks for commenting Jim. I love where you're headed...I just think some tweaking might be in order?

John,

You couldn't be more correct!!! Your numbers are exactly correct!! But here's the deal.

Take a look around your particular market area. NO ONE is doing any marketing!! Okay, admittedly, THAT might be an exagerration. But for the most part, you have VERRRRRY little competition out there in the real world. In the last 18 months (here at my own home) I haven't received ONE SINGLE SOLITARY ANYTHING from a real estate agent.

Now, I know there are a billion agents in Las Vegas. BUT...only 100 or so are actually doing any real marketing. You could take a 1,000-home farm...and within 90 days, be known as THE ONLY AGENT TO CALL. It involves a slightly "guerilla" marketing tactic. Other agents don't like it much...LOL....but it works very well! And it's easy to implement. I used it "back in the day" and it was my best lead generator bar none!

You should call and least hear about it. It would most definitely get you to the #1 position in YOUR prospects' minds!!!

Glad you commented! Thanks!

Dave

Kevin,

Sheesh...I passed you up on my previous response. Hey, I'm old. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!! Yeah...the guy on the card to the left up there has a pretty decent new "look and feel" doesn't he?? BUT...dont'cha think the girl to his right is kinda cuter??  ::: smirk :::

Russel,

Whew!!! I felt sooooo much better for Jim after reading your response above! All I could picture was Century 21 plastered all over the place! I feel much better now that I know you taught him to promote JIM FRIMMER instead of Century 21!

It's funny...I know many agents who work for Coldwell Banker. It's a fine company. They use all of CB's marketing materials, meaning that the Coldwell Banker "look and feel" is VERY prominent...and up until recently, also meant that the agent only got to use their very small black and white personal photo somewhere on the back of the postcard. They allow color photos now. Hey, the postcards are cheap...so who cares right??

Then...

They move to RE/MAX. Their whole brand changes. They're now promoting a hot air ballon instead of a dark blue rectangle. People see them at the grocery store, wearing their new blue and red RE/MAX shirt instead of their old white and blue CB shirt...and it's a little confusing. They're not even sure it's the same person. But they stop and say "Didn't you used to be with Coldwell Banker? I remember you used to drive a car that had a Coldwell Banker sign on it?"

"Yes, but I'm now with RE/MAX. I decided a change was in order for the way I do business now."

"Oh, that's nice. What's your name again?"

They could only recognize and/or remember the company he worked for. Heck, if that's what you spend your hard-earned money on teaching them, they'll learn it well. Teach them to remember a blue rectangle...and they will. From your efforts, they'll know to call the blue rectangle whenever they want to list their home. You did a masterful job branding Coldwell Banker (why do you think their postcards are cheaper?)

But what would've happened had you not run into those clients at the grocery store and had the opportunity to introduce them to your new "hot air balloon" office? You'd have likely lost them to your old office. Hmmm, you better hope you've run into ALL of your prospective customers at the grocery store...because you probably already HAVE lost deals to your old office.

----On your newest comment----

I suggest a two-year plan, which often works out to the next time they order business cards anyway! We have a pretty good deal on 5,000 cards....and for many, that means I'll get their reorder about two years from now. And yes...if their look and appearance has changed noticeably....they should update their photo. BUT...it NEVER has to be a professional photo!! Just take 5-10 photos in your living room with your digital camera...and we'll do the rest. The results are amazing.

Thanks for commenting Russel!

Adam,

First of ll, thank you SO much for your compliments!! That means a lot to me!! Secondly, call me anytime...the test is a fun one!!! You'd enjoy it!

Thirdly...I want to do an experiment with you.



I understand where you're coming from with regards to a logo. But the first thing you MUST do is decide what (or who) it is that you want people to remember!! In MY case, it's FlyersToYou, so i do not use my personal photo (I did when I sold real estate though.)

In one of my responses above, I wrote:

An agent uses a 15-year old photo in her branding. It's all over town. When you finally MEET her, her hair color isn't the same. It's blonde, not brown. She also now has short hair, not long. She's a bit bustier than her photo implies...and she's not wearing glasses. All the while, you're too busy thinking "Oh...um....YOU'RE Sally??? My goodness, you don't look at ALL like what we were expecting". That kind of stuff can backfire. You almost become slightly suspicious in a weird way. 

So you're right about that. But here's a flipside to that coin.

In Donald Trump's photo above...you wouldn't be able to tell me whether that photo was taken 5 years ago...10 years ago...or yesterday. He's not one to change his style very often (if EVER). One might consider that to be a bit boring...but it seems to work fairly well for him :: smile ::

Female agents have a tougher time with personal branding than male agents do. They LOVE to experiment with new hair colors, styles, etc. Guys can usually put on a suit and tie...and even though they've got a few more grays..and maybe a little less hair...and possibly even a wrinkle or two...they essentially look the same as their photo taken several years ago.

Aging is inevitable, you're right. But if your STYLE doesn't change...the new photo may not be as necessary as you think. And if you DO change it...you're likely be okay anyway. If you look at Kevin's business card above...you can easily imagine his photo changing....but the card's "look and feel" being the same. That's why personal branding needs to incorporate color schemes, fonts and photo. It would only hurt Kevin if he changed his color scheme to blue and yellow....and his font to some party font. In fact, if he did that...BUT kept the exact same photo as he now has....it would absolutely ruin his branding!!

It's not the photo so much as the totality of all three.

In any case...call me anytime at (951) 652-8365. I think the conversation would be great! I've read your posts here on AR and have wanted to meet you anyway!

Til then,

Dave




 

Kevin,

One day you'll be as pretty as she is.

<cough>

Russel,

Uh oh...I found something we disagree on! YIKES!

I understand your point about phone numbers changing...or office changes...BUT...

I've had the same phone number, address, company and cell number for the last 7 years.

I had an interesting discussion with an agent this morning. She's doing a postcard marketing campaign and we were discussing quantities. She could order 1,000 postcards (one month's mailing) and pay $.22 a piece. OR...get a higher quantity and cut the price to less than half. It's the same design...so if she uses all 10,000, she saves over 50%. If she only uses them for 6 months...she still saves money.

The phone company announces area code changes well in advance, giving Realtors the opportunity to guage when they should reorder marketing materials with their new number...and how to buy the right quantities now in anticipation of the change.

Color printing always rewards higher quantities with lower pricing...so even though a 6-month plan offers a bit more security...most people won't need it...especially if it costs them twice as much!

Here's another interesting phenomenon I've noticed...

When agents order the familiar long box of 1,000 business cards, they're a little stingy with them. I don't mean that in a bad way. But if you ask them for a couple extra cards...THAT'S what you'll get!! Two more cards. They watch their supply of cards dwindling, so they're less likely to hand you a stack of 10-15.

Meanwhile, our customers almost invariably are looking for ways to get rid of soooooooooooo many cards. Leave a stack at the dry cleaners, leave a stack at the UPS store...leave a stack at Starbucks, etc. When they get the big brown shipping box with 5,000 cards in it...they almost faint. But they feel more comfortable handing them out by the hundreds...and you know the drill. All it takes is ONE DEAL to more than easily justify the $90.00 more they paid for the extra 4,000 cards!

By the way...can you imagine an agent using a big X on her cards???? If any agents are reading this post...DO NOT DO THAT EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All it does is broadcast that you're too cheap to order replacements...and you do NOT want to portray yourself in that light to a prospective buyer or seller. Heck, in that situation...I'd have given the agent a major break...and saved her the embarrassment!

Your marketing and you brand tell people a lot about who you are...both as a real estate agent AND business person. If you can't find it within yourself to ensure that everything that has your name on it is the absolute best...you'll likely be one of the agents on this site adding another "I can't figure out why I lost the listing" posts. Sorry to be that harsh...but...

It's the truth. Period.

Dave