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Capitalize on Your Broker's Marketing and Branding
To achieve the greatest results from your marketing efforts, you must fully utilize your company's branding as well as creating your own brand separate and distinct from that of your company. To evaluate how your company's branding is either helping or hindering your marketing efforts, consider each of the following:
- Begin by honestly assessing your company's brand and image in your community.
Is your company's brand closer to the Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom image of quality and excellent service or is it more like the Dollar General Stores where you have to serve yourself and you never know what you're going to get? For example, I was speaking to an agent whose firm had gained an image as the "cut rate" brokerage in her area. She was one of the few agents who consistently tried to obtain six percent listings. Unfortunately, her company's brand had been consistently associated with cut rate fees. Thus, before she ever walked into a meeting with a seller, her company's branding had actually created an almost insurmountable hurdle when it came to obtaining a full listing commission. - Next, look at the other people in your firm.
Are these people the highly professional agents you want taking the floor calls on your listings? Are you proud to be associated with this firm? Does the firm have the high ethical standards that reflect a quality company? Or is the company's image something you would rather not discuss? In each case, the company's branding and image can influence how difficult or easy it is for you to obtain listings and sales. When I was at Jon Douglas Company, part of the company's branding was "The Sign of Respect." I never had to sell the company because the company's branding represented three core values of the company: professionalism, customer service, and "do the right thing." All I had to do was sell myself. If your company's branding doesn't support your business, is there a different company whose branding and image does? - Does your company attract more buyers than sellers?
Like it or not, when it comes time to list their property, most sellers elect to list with the company who is doing the most business in a given area. If your listing presentation skills are excellent and you're still not getting listings, you need to honestly assess whether your company's brand assists or hinders your attempts to build your listing business. The good news is that if you're a buyers' agent, most buyers aren't terribly concerned about the company - they're more concerned with their level of connection with the agent. - The next step in working with your company's brand is to determine your personal strategy for effectively utilizing your broker's branding.
If your company has a national presence, incorporate it into your marketing. For example, when your company runs a national ad, use part of the ad copy in your own marketing materials. If your company sends out just listed or just sold cards, take advantage of these. The goal is to build your personal credibility by associating yourself with the more general credibility of the brokerage. There may be only four or five people in your office, but if you're with a large national firm, there's a perception that the "big name" stands in back of the services you provide - take advantage of it. - If your company is touting a particular program in the media, make sure your marketing materials incorporate this free advertising done on behalf of the brand.
For example, if your company is doing a "Summer Open House Extravaganza," make sure you plan on holding your best listing open that day. If your company regularly advertises its relocation services, reference the relocation information in your listing presentation. The same is true of your company's website. If there are special features provided on your company's website that other companies don't provide, be sure to include them in your listing presentation.
Remember, when it comes to branding your business, your goal is to capitalize on your company's marketing and branding efforts while simultaneously building your personal brand.
To contact Bernice Ross please email her at bernice@realestatecoach.com.
