Want to stand out in real estate? Brand yourself

As San Diego residents, we are inundated with realtors' solicitations, postcards, pads, baseball schedules, magnets, etc. Not one has made an impact. Until Mary McTernan moved into my neighborhood. I haven't met her, nor do I know anyone who has used her (yet), but if someone asked about local realtors, she is the first person I would think of. Why? She has created a brand that sets her apart from everyone else.

Her signs are always pink, and feature a sassy illustration of her with her dogs:

She does the same, long skinny pad as everyone else, but spent the money to have her pad printed pink, and branded. Here is the bottom of her pad:

Her cars:

Her bus stop advertising:

We see her around the neighborhood walking her dogs, and she looks pretty much like her fun illustration. This strong, branded approach raises her profile in a market that's flooded with competition. Her brand no doubt appeals to women, as it has a "chick lit" feel to it that's upscale and energetic, just what you'd want in a realtor.

Thanks to reader Jay Thompson for this great example of a branded realty sign from Bloodhound Realty in Phoenix.

Tip of the day: Set yourself apart by creating a strong brand that represents your company, and carry it through every aspect of your business experience. This approach works when the brand expresses your true, authentic nature, and is integrated through good design.

Technorati Tags: customer experience, real estate, San Diego, consultant

First impressions: The real estate customer experience

The customer experience relates to all kinds of businesses. I usually write about specific bricks-and-mortar sites. But what about short-term, temporary experiences? How can they be improved?

Real estate is one example where first impressions are absolutely critical, hence the term "curb appeal." While a great deal of energy is devoted to making the front of the house look appealing, what about the realtor's sign itself? Is that part of the impression? Should it be? Take a look at each picture and see if it makes you feel more or less likely to want to see the house.

Well, having this one behind bars certainly isn't appealing.

This one doesn't read very clearly, and the hand-done numbering doesn't look as professional as it could.

The realtor's information on top doesn't look integrated (either by color or type style) with the Century 21 look.

This is clean and professional.

More upscale, but a little hard to read.

Even the color of the post is integrated with their sign, and their friendly faces are also appealing.


Tip of the day: Details count. Consider every aspect of your first impression, as you may only get one chance.

Technorati Tags: customer experience, first impression, real estate, consultant