Wanted: Your Ideas on Branding and Winning Listings in a Changing Market

Ask any veteran real estate agent what has changed over their years in business, and you'll likely get an earful about how MLS books, fax machines and newspaper ads were once crucial tools of the trade.

What hasn't changed is that agents still spend time and money on getting their name, face and logo out to their community. Today, branding strategies have evolved—and realtor.com wants to know your tips for building local recognition in our modern digital age. They're fielding a short survey in conjunction with NAR's MVP program, and are offering a few freebies in exchange for five minutes of your time.

But more on that in a minute. First, let's take a look at how real estate branding and marketing has changed over the years.

In the past

The branding channels of the past—newspaper ads, billboards, flyers, etc.—all shared a weakness: there were no good ways to track effectiveness. Agents struggled to understand how many people saw your ad or how many calls it generated.

Additionally, in order to reach the 5% of consumers who were thinking of buying or selling a home, agents had to take a "spray and pray" approach to marketing. That is to say, they had to market to everyone, as targeting only potential movers was not easily accomplished.

What has changed

We know that consumers do react favorably to brand advertising—having your name out there is a positive—but today's consumers are not as likely to just call someone who has a familiar name. Before reaching out, they want to know more about you. This means researching your reputation and your online reviews just as they would before choosing a hotel, restaurant, or other professional services.

What agents and team leaders are doing now

According to Realtor.com, preliminary survey results are already coming in. Today's agents seem to be focusing more on online branding than on traditional ads—most notably on social media.

Now agents have access to new tools that let you target your marketing right when and where consumers are looking at homes for sale, like on property listing sites like realtor.com. Digital ad retargeting—where ads follow consumers around the web based on their online activity—is also an increasingly popular (and potent!) way to reinforce your personal brand.

Agents who can make their brand dominant with these strategies have a better chance of winning over consumers.

Share your thoughts—and get rewarded!

How are YOU branding and building your business in today's online-driven marketplace? Share your thoughts in a 5-minute survey from realtor.com. In exchange for your input, you'll get:

• A FREE "Get Noticed and Get the Listing" guide that shares survey results, sample ads, messaging and tips, as well as advice from real estate strategist Jeff Lobb of Sparktank Media.
• An invitation to an exclusive webinar, "Build Awareness - Get Listings." Hear from top professionals about the best ideas, visuals and messaging they use to build brand awareness.
• A special offer of one free month of realtor.com® Local Expert when you purchase it during the MVP promotional period.

Ready to get started? Take the survey now!