8 Ways Real Estate Agents Can Establish Name Recognition
Name recognition is important for real estate professionals. Your name is part of your brand. Building a recognizable brand creates trust within your community. How can agents build name recognition that eventually generates sales and commissions?
First, realize that networking, marketing and name recognition all work together. Done properly, using this triad ensures people know who they can trust when it is time to buy or sell real estate.
Here are eight ways real estate agents can establish name recognition in their communities.
1. Become the go-to person for your chartered local association of REALTORS®. If you don’t have a local chapter, take the lead toward forming one.
2. Stock up on pocket-sized business cards, refrigerator magnets or pens. Never miss an opportunity to introduce yourself, and hand out your contact information.
3. Get caught volunteering. Images in the local paper of you ladling soup at the local shelter, or handing out water during the charity 5K, go a long way toward building your brand – without investing marketing dollars. Since the giving season is just around the corner, this might be a good time to designate your office as a drop-off point for a Toys-for-Tots drive, or host a giving tree in your lobby.
4. Offer to write a guest blog for local builders, lenders and other industry connections.
5. Give something away. Marketing expert Jay Baer explains in his book, Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype,
“if you sell something, you make a customer today, but if you genuinely help someone, you create a customer for life.”
This concept is why items like customized memo boards and recipe calendars are so popular. Update your print and online content that adds value with no strings attached. Think real-time weather and traffic updates added to your website or social media channels. Print media updates might include names and contact numbers for city officials.
6. Speaking of providing value, make sure your social media posts aren’t all about the priced-right-two-story-home in the perfect neighborhood. Share content that teaches people ways to make their life happier, easier or more convenient.
7. On social media, share-worthy contests and quizzes are a great way to expand your brand. Host a photo contest where viewers vote, or maybe create a quiz that tests followers’ home buying knowledge.
8. Build relationships with local and regional influencers. You know who these people are. When they talk, everyone listens. Look for online and on-the-ground community members. Remember, you want to form long-term relationships that complement each other, no one wants to always be on the giving end.
Building name recognition is all about making an emotional connection with your community. ReaMark customer service agents can help you explore customized promotional material that seamlessly complements your marketing and networking strategies.