Your brand says a lot about you as a real estate agent, and as home buyers and sellers are getting younger and younger, it’s important to make sure that your brand is consistent and strong across the board.
Agents are experts at helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs, but too often, they manage to overlook their own brand, which can be instrumental in helping them find new clients. Whether you focus your marketing efforts online, in print, or both, it’s important that your brand has a homogenous look wherever someone might see it.
Online, your website and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and your blog should mimic the look of your printed marketing materials. Hold up a recent flyer or brochure to any of your online spaces and ask yourself if they are consistent. Are they similar with their color schemes and typeface? What about negative space?
Too many agents make the mistake of wanting to fill-up any available white space on a webpage or piece of paper. Negative space is actually a good thing because it keeps your viewers’ eyes moving scanning. This can lead them to your tagline or your contact information. Consider this: when you’re staging a home, do you pack as much furniture into the home that will fit, or make deliberate choices when it comes to placement? The same should be true with your marketing and brand presence.
Online, make sure you’re aware that DIY templates can often be more of a headache than they’re worth. Typically, they give you specific place and shape for your logo, which doesn’t fit across the board. If you have a circular logo but the template is square, your logo might appear warped or stretched. Make sure you keep a few variations of your logo on-hand, including a web-optimized version that will work for websites and social media platforms.
Finally, make sure you’re using any available services you have, especially if you work for a brokerage. The internal marketing department likely has graphic designers and copywriters who can help you with small projects like updating a logo or putting together a better brochure. Talk to them about brand cohesiveness and get their opinion on your print and online materials.
It’s also a good idea to find a local printer who can assist you when you need marketing materials printed. Large national chains like FedEx Kinkos can help you in a pinch, but the service tends to be impersonal and the quality can sometimes be lacking.
