Special offer

What Was Your Best Marketing Idea Ever? Here's ours!

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage

What Was Your Best Marketing Idea Ever? Here's ours!

It doesn't matter if you have been in the Real Estate business for 30 days or 30 years, you have to continually stand out in your market.

When a Buyer or Seller decide it's time to buy or sell a house, will your name come to mind?  The odds are you have hundreds, if not thousands of Agents just sitting by their phone waiting for Mr. Buyer or Seller to call.

Why should they call you?  You're a nice guy, honest, hard working and would do just about anything to help them with their real estate matters. 

But, and that is a huge but, if they don't know who you are... you are not even going to be in the running.

So, how do you get people in your community to know you?

What is your best marketing idea, how do you get people to know you and most importantly remember you.

Everyday, even 30+ years later we are still trying to think of a new idea that will get us in the door.  Do you have a good idea that you can share?

Here's an idea we had many years ago, late 1985 to be exact.  We put the same question to ourselves, "how can we get our name out?", and below you will see what we came up with. 

We were years ahead of any other Real Estate Agents in our area.  A few Agents would put their name on a magnetic sign and stick it on their car but who saw it or read it. 

Our idea was seen and talked about, even to this day and we haven't had it for about 7 years.

www.TheHousePeople.com Al and Peggy Cunningham 1986 Corvette


Maybe it's time to get a new one, $60,000+++, yes you can buy a van and deck it all up like everyone else is doing, but who remembers it.  Now, on the other hand if you look like you just drove off the Daytona Race Track, you will been seen and remembered.

What Was Your Best Marketing Idea Ever? Here's ours!

Comments(154)

Al & Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage - Brampton, ON
Our Family Wants To Help Your Family!

That is an excellent idea Dana, we are going to try that! Thanks!

As long as the message gets out there Barbara-Jo

We will watching for it then Ranji! Always love new ideas.

Thanks Pam! AR here helps us with the blogging and we do keep our newsletters out there.

Yes Raymond that is a really good idea also. Excellent that you advertise it everywhere.

Some days yes Debbie and when you are on your way home after a looooong day LOL!

Do it Mel!!!

We'll agree with that Tammie!

Kimo it too a lot to do but they were removed decals that didn't hurt the paint, we made sure of it.

Hey Derrick Team, you can't be a secret agent right? Yes, impecable driving is a must.

Just do it Karen you'll be glad.....it was hard to see the baby go to pasture.

Good for you Harley and bet you have gotten business from it.

Anything different works Eric and that is what we are after.

Only once Michael because it was registered as red in error and he stopped us cause he checked us out and of course it is a white car.....think he wanted a closer look at the interior LOL!

Tina it has to attract attention.

It is still talked about today, and did it job Erica.  We still get "oh your the Corvette people"

It did start conversations Jon, it started out with us thinking of getting a billboard and we decided a moving billboard would be better.

You do Bill and it works right?

Leslie its all about advertising and this was our moving billboard. No the teenagers can't drive it!

Anna this car was really great when we were presenting offers, you do have to have a second car for personal time LOL

Monique best driving behavior is a must....saves on tickets!

It did Evelyn, it was like an ad everywhere we went.

We did that too Gene although we had to go through some hoops to get the deduction.

DeeDee it brought us so much exposure we lost track. It was talked about in households apparently that we weren't even in. To this day we get called and people tells us it was because they remembered the car and want agents that market like that.

It did Doug, now we are after the newest marketing ideas. Hard to always be creative.

Mar 02, 2012 09:26 PM
Jamie R. Bell
Bell Realty Group at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices NEP - Glastonbury, CT
Your Central CT Realtor

love it! great idea thinking outside the box

Mar 03, 2012 02:32 AM
Cheryl Dukes . . . . . Intown Atlanta
Guaranteed Offer for your Home - eXp realty - Atlanta, GA

That sure is a fancy looking car. I've never seen one quite like that. I think all my 'brilliant' marketing ideas pale in comparison.

Mar 03, 2012 07:49 AM
Bob Miller
Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Ocala, FL
The Ocala Dream Team

Hi Al & Peggy, maybe this is a bit of an oxymoran, but my best marketing idea was to stop marketing and prospect instead.  That said my logo was the best for the $$ spent.

Mar 03, 2012 08:55 AM
Al & Peggy Cunningham, Brokers
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage - Brampton, ON
Our Family Wants To Help Your Family!

Trying to keep up with new creative ideas is hard though Jamie

No creative idea pales please do share here Cheryl

LOL yes your logo is very creative Bob the Realtor and probably gets alot of attention, excellent!

Mar 03, 2012 10:51 AM
Donna Foerster
HomeSmart Realty Group - Parker, CO
Metro Denver Real Estate Assistant

Great idea (7 years ago, when it might have been affordable).  Wish I had some good ideas.  I'll have to read through all your comments.  Maybe there are some good ideas there!  :-)

Mar 03, 2012 12:44 PM
Paddy Deighan MBA JD PhD
http://www.medicalandspaconsulting.com - Vail, CO
Paddy Deighan J.D. Ph.D

Corvette looked great...nice tax dedution too..the best type of marketing...one in which you can enjoy and receive a marketing benefit from!!

Mar 04, 2012 02:39 AM
Jenny Durling
L.A. Property Solutions - Los Angeles, CA
For Los Angeles real estate help 213-215-4758

I wonder if my Prius could be transformed into a formula I racing car clone... hmmm, maybe not?!  Love the idea!

Mar 04, 2012 04:48 AM
Jairo Arreola #SOLDBYVETERAN
PRG Real Estate - San Jose, CA
VA Home Loan Specialist - SF Bay Area

wow! that looks great. What an eye catcher!!

Mar 04, 2012 06:31 AM
Tibor I. Olah
Apex Results Realty Inc.Brokerage - Burlington, ON

Nice job, I guess I might as well put away my sandwich board.

Mar 05, 2012 04:53 AM
Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team
Keller Williams Parkland/Coral Springs Realty-GreatFloridaHomes Team - Coral Springs, FL
Trust Your Family's Move To Our Expertise!

Had to laugh when I saw your marketing idea.  Today I was on my way to a listing appointment and the owner called me while I was en-route and says, "You don't have signs on your car do you?"

No Ma'am I did not putthem on today as I was off this weekend.  Oh good she says - I don't want my neighbors to know yet, that I am moving. 

In your car, I would have had to cancel the appointment.  ;-)   I do find my signs valuable though.  Joy

Mar 05, 2012 11:36 AM
Ron Climer
Keller Williams Realty Mountain Partners - Tryon, NC

     Al and Peggy   The best marketing idea we ever had at Climer School of Real Estate was to put free real estate math lessons videos on You Tube.  We started this a year ago.  Now I have students that drive one hundred miles to be in my Florida State Exam Review class.  They would have never heard of me before.

    Car signs did not work for me .  Other drivers would call the school and complain about my driving.

Mar 05, 2012 06:16 PM
S W
Centerville, KS

Thats awesome and very creative lol

Mar 05, 2012 11:32 PM
Charles Stallions
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pensacola, FL
850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.

Hi Al and Peggy what did you ask for in this post? When I was with RE/Max I was the only agent to ever bring in the Hot Air Balloon and did so every year for a benefit called Nickel Fest it was ablast and you know the balloon is free to all agents. Our franchise in 20 years didn't know that and never used it.

Mar 11, 2012 04:12 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

wow,

reading this blog, I feel so proud of the realtors:) What creative people!

Great post, very inspirational ~~ and good crowd of cool people with fantastic ideas! Each of you should post a blog with pictures of your creative idea to market yourself:)

 

p.s. Car is so posh and cool!

 

Mar 16, 2012 05:24 PM
Dana Hollish Hill
Hollish Hill Group, JPAR Stellar Living - Bethesda, MD
REALTOR * Broker * Coach

Well that really grabbed my attention! And so did the title of your post. You seem to have mastered the marketing dilemma that many agents face.

 

Mar 28, 2012 11:41 PM
Dylan Taft
Dylan Taft Broker/Owner Taft Street Realty, Inc. - Woodstock, NY
Ulster County Area Consultant

Although that won't work for every agent in every market, it sounds like it worked well for you guys!  Congrats and thanks for sharing!

Jul 29, 2012 11:06 PM
Kathy Godin
Raleigh Mortgage Gals - Raleigh, NC
Passion for Serving

Know where I can get a previously owned Rolls Royce.  I want to operate in luxury homes.

Sep 27, 2012 02:46 AM
Wayne B. Pruner
Oregon First - Tigard, OR
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI

My postcards work OK but nothing like that car! Wow!

Oct 26, 2012 10:26 AM
Matt Robinson
Professional Investors Guild - Pensacola, FL
www.professionalinvestorsguild.com
I'm not a big Corvette fan, but there's no doubt that is memorable. Very creative, and a job well done! Maybe I'll do it with a Ferrari...well, when I save up a couple hundred thousand bucks. Merry Christmas!!
Dec 24, 2012 08:09 AM