What do you think of when someone says “Aflac”?
I’ll bet it’s a duck. How do I know this? Because the ad - vertising campaign for Aflac Insurance has ingrained in our heads the image of a duck saying “Af-lac!” What this large and previously unknown insurance company did was to make everybody aware of its presence — with a duck! Seriously, who ever heard of Aflac be- fore? I bet you didn’t know it was founded in 1955. But find me one person who hasn’t heard of it now. McDonald’s has its arches. Geico has its gecko. Tar-
get has its red and white bullseye. And the list goes on. People remember visual images. They work! They’re successful at keeping the company “top of mind”. So what does this have to do with you? As an agent,
you face a ton of fierce competition. There are prob- ably hundreds – if not thousands – of agents in your marketplace. Tell me, how many of those agents are branded? Sure, there are the well-known real estate
So, how about you? What do people get from work-
ing with you? Consistency? Expertise? Valuable real estate market information? Your custom branding must clearly deliver your unique message. But back to your company’s marketing materials.
If you have a company which has created a strong, recognizable brand you’d be foolish not to take advan- tage of that. For example, I used to work for RE/MAX. I used the RE/MAX logo in allmy marketing. I would have been crazy not to. RE/MAX has a stellar repu- tation and the very fact I was a part of it boosted my own image. But I combined it with my own visuals and message. It was a “one-two” punch! When you combine your personal brand with that
of your company it’s the best of both worlds. Not only are you letting people know that you are a part of a responsible and respectable organization, you are also making sure they know you are not just an-
Create the brand of “You.”
companies with easily identifiable images. But how many individual agents have taken the extra step to uniquely brand themselves? Not many. Truth is, agents who invest in branding get more
clients because they get remembered. I cannot tell you the number of clients who have reported to me that after they got their branding implemented that po- tential buyers and sellers picked up the phone and called them because they remembered them from a mailing or a letter they had sent or an open house they had done. I am a perfect example of this. For years, I’ve used
zebra stripes as my brand. People remember me. They may not remember my face, but when I start to teach a class and those zebra stripes come on the Powerpoint inevitably someone says, “Oh! You’re the Zebra Lady!” But branding is more than just pretty pictures or a
mascot. Your brand identity must communicate what makes you the best person to do business with. There must be a message that supports the brand. For ex- ample, people know when the zebra brand shows up on the screen that they are in for a great class because I consistently deliver great classes chock-full of infor - mation and I deliver it in a fun way. The zebra brand equates to real estate knowledge, business know- how, great ideas, and an element of fun.
www.garealtor.com
other agent within that organization. Your company has figured out the power of brand-
ing, and the importance of applying their brand and look to everything they do. So, take a page from their book! Create the brand of “you.” Leverage your com- pany’s brand by including their name on your mar- keting materials, but create your own special image. After all, your big powerhouse company has thou- sands and thousands of agents who all appear exactly
Skyrocket your business.
the same to potential clients. You’d better figure out a way to stand out in that crowd! Remember: there’s nothing wrong with the market -
ing materials from your company. But to skyrocket your business, a strong and personal brand identity will make you stand out in a sea of competition.
DENISE LONES IS PRESIDENT OF THE LONES GROUP TEAM BASED IN BELLINGHAM, WASH. THIS ARTICLE WAS
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM DENISE’S BLOG, REAL ESTATE ZEBRA,
WWW.REALESTATEZEBRABLOG.COM.
DENISE WILL BE AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE 2015 GAR INAUGURAL & LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA THIS COMING FEBRUARY, TEACHING TWO CLASSES ON MARKETING.
GEORGIA REALTOR® I 23
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