How Many "Brands" are Enough?

It's no secret today, that in order to communicate and market successfully, we need to cut through the media noise and clutter.

My business card alone is a tribute to noise and clutter!

Over the past decade media has under-gone dramatic changes. The rapid downward-spiral of the newspapers and end of most real estate classifieds; the end of real estate large display advertising in the once powerful and essential " yellow pages."

In my opinion, we in the business need to change in a Darwin fashion: adapt or join with the future non-survivors.


Over the decades the real estate brokerage business has readily adapted, without a sound or a murmur, the advertising concept of "brands."


Now we have: The individual "agent brand:" the human face and individual side of each independent real estate agent.

We have the "broker brand:" the Lord and Lady ever present broker who has worked hard to build his or her unique brand and position in the local community at large.

Then we throw in the "MLS brand:" this unique yet essential business service brand.

Then comes the always imperial Realtor brand: which is the membership for hire on a national scale.

The so called big-gun brand is the national "Franchise Real Estate Brand:"

My question is just how many "brands" are enough, or too many?

Many real estate agents I know spend a great deal of time, energy, work and money, in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Does it matter if my colors are "blue and white," and yours are "gold and brown"?

Based on my experience most consumers ( those who have sold or bought a home in the recent past) know that almost all agents generally use a "MLS generated," property market analysis and place them in a different colored slick folder.

It is time to return to professionalism and stop using the the same-old,"one-size-fits-all" marketing approach. I think it times to have our business actions speak louder than "brands," or "images"

Just my opinion,

Bill McInerney