It's YOUR Money! Should You Market YOU or the COMPANY??

It's Your Money! Should You Market YOU or the Company?

Normally, I talk about websites....website design, content, template or custom, etc. etc.  However, this evening I was reading a post by Diane Aurit here in NC, talking about whether or not your company/broker is supporting you, or competing against you.   I have come across this many times throughout the past few years with my clients, and thought it would be a great post to go into detail about...SHOULD YOU MARKET YOU or THE COMPANY???

I'm an agent...WHO should I advertise?

            You work for a major brokerage.  You're a fairly new agent or even an experienced agent.  You do not do your own marketing, mainly on the fact that 1) you are not sure how to approach it, and 2) the broker has always told you that by advertising the company, it is the best advertising you can do (usually they talk about how the company has spent millions advertising the balloon or logo -which is very true, and has been very successful).  However if do a listing flyer, or a postcard, or do your website with just broker branding (COMPANY LOGO LARGE, with brokers phone number, but with your photo small or on the other side, with your phone number - who are you really advertising??  It's the broker.  By making everything scream REMAX REMAX REMAX or COLDWELL BANKER OR KW  and just having your info super small, no one is going to remember you!  So when these prospectives get ready to buy or sell, who are they going to call?  YOU  or the BROKERAGE, chances are it's the broker!  Why?  Its because your marketing is generic (a picture and your name-big whoop) It doesn't stand out but when you put 410-555-9090  HUGE on the front that's the number they are going to call, and they are going to say they want to buy or sell, they aren't going to say "I would like to speak with JOE AGENT" 

            Your broker does an excellent job telling you to advertise the company, and how well the name is recognized-which is true,  but the broker wants you to advertise them because of the fact that 1) they get free advertising, and 2) if the broker competes with you, then any leads coming in via phone or walk-ins usually go to the broker (and he disburses the leads from there, I have a ton of brokers who just gives the leads to members of their OWN TEAMS.  So of course they want you to SELL the company.

            If you want Business, your going to have to stop believing that "if you market the company - it's the best marketing you can do"   What to do? You need come up with a brand, you need to develop a marketing plan, and stay consistent with everything that you do, you need to start advertising the company as small as possible.  I will lay out some idea's below.

How should you market the company ?

            Most people usually ask...OK I want to brand ME but don't I HAVE to have the brokers information on my marketing?  The answer is usually yes, although it varies from state to state and county to county, the majority of the time you have to have the company name, address, and brokers phone number, as well as equal housing logo.  The Realtor logo is optional although we recommend you use it.  Most of our marketing pieces we do for agents has the brokers info small but legible and easily found.  Click here for samples of a agent branded website you will see how the brokerage info is small at the bottom and that the phone number and address for the brokerage is on the contact page...now here in the Raleigh area this is acceptable.  Now in Maryland, another primary market I service,  the contact info has to be on the main page so we place the info small at the bottom.  Click here to view flyer samples, you will notice how we brand the agent, not the brokerage - you will see how after a while, the clients will remember you, instead of the broker!  After all, you most likely won't be spending your entire career at that particular office, so the smaller it is the better....On most of our marketing, the agent could change brokerages every other day, and no one would even notice!  That's the way it SHOULD be.

Who's money is it anyway?

            This isn't a simple easy answer.  The answer is a lot of useful, unique, and up-to-date information displayed in a clean and easy to use way (more on displaying the info later).   Wow, this is a big question. 

The brokers that say you HAVE to market the company or you won't survive are dead wrong and are steering you the wrong way.  I am not bashing large companies or small companies, heck in MD there are so many brokerages -you can have one Re/Max on one side of the road, and another Re/Max on the other side of the road-and the difference in how they are run and support their agents are night and day differences!  If you market your company on everything you do, then technically your broker should pay for the marketing - not you, because in all reality you are the one who is not benefiting....they are.  The broker wants as much free advertising as they can get.  Now again, I am not "hating" on the brokers,  THEIR job is to market the company any way legally they can, and if they can get you to do it, then they succeed, and win!  Heck they are getting free advertising-you can't beat free, so you can't blame the broker, and yes some agents don't want to brand themselves, so broker branding works for them.

Brokers & Managers That Compete With You...Do YOU WIN?

            A lot of brokerages have BROKERS and MANAGERS who are simply that BROKER'S and MANAGERS-they manage and run the company on a day to day basis, and help the agents succeed, so that in return-THEY SUCCEED.  But then you have BROKERS and MANAGERS (and even receptionists) who PRACTICE real estate, they either work themselves or have teams.  So, are they really working towards your best interest? Are they really completely focused on your success? Probably NOT!  I see brokers take all of the leads that come from walk-in's and phone calls, and usually distribute them to their own teams, sometimes they give junk or crappy leads to other agents.  I see this day in and day out!  Receptionists who take call-in's and then schedule to meet with them, thus keeping the leads to themselves, and managers who do the same.  I see agents who need help or have questions and they can't get answers because the manager or broker is on a listing appointment or with a client. 

            I also have brokers & managers who compete with their clients, and as a way to "keep everything legal"  they REQUIRE that they SEE every piece of marketing and HEAR every IDEA before the agent puts it into print or starts the new IDEA  to make sure it has all of the proper requirements (broker address, phone, equal housing, etc.)    I have seen brokers who told agents not to do a mailing or such because they think the company logo should be larger.  I have seen brokers STEAL agents idea's and implement them themselves.    When you are starting out (or changing  companies)  research for a long time, talk to other agents, and RESEARCH!  You want to make sure that you are the one who is important, you want a NON COMPETING BROKERAGE (including manager, receptionist, broker, etc)  The company needs to work to your advantage.  Go to a company that supports and recommends agent branding, or talk to a company like us, who can help you with your marketing, branding, and choosing a company that will best fit you and your needs.

Conclusion:

            I have a lot of clients who have been very angry with their previous brokers because of competition, and marketing,  and Diane's post got me thinking about all the crap I hear all the time.

Well, Best Of Luck To Everyone, and I would like to get everyone's opinion!

David Fox
The Real Estate Tech Desk
"Technology & Marketing Solutions For Real Estate"
410-274-4871
www.defpc.net