Why do realtors put their pictures in their advertising?

[Northstar]

This is just idle curiosity, as in "what is the reason," not "WHY must they do that??" I'm not selling my house or looking for a realtor.

But I just got another flyer in the mail, with three realtors' smiling pictures on it, and it just strikes me as odd and vaguely sinister... do they think I want to screen them for looks and hire the best looking? Do they want to be sure not to waste their time on people who might have prejudices against their ethnic group or age group? Do they want to be sure their faces are out there so I might recognize them in the mall, realize that I want to sell/buy a house, and walk up to do business? Or do they just do it because it's an industry standard and you kind of have to, because everybody else does?

So maybe somebody involved in the real estate business can tell me... why do realtors put their pictures in their advertising?

 

[Poohnatic]

On a similar note, why do realtors wear nametags EVERYWHERE? I've seen this across a broad spectrum of places, where I work and when I shop or run errands.

On the same note, I'm not going to walk up to some random stranger because they're wearing a nametag that has the "R" on it and their name.

Suzanne

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

This is just idle curiosity, as in "what is the reason," not "WHY must they do that??" I'm not selling my house or looking for a realtor.

But I just got another flyer in the mail, with three realtors' smiling pictures on it, and it just strikes me as odd and vaguely sinister... do they think I want to screen them for looks and hire the best looking? Do they want to be sure not to waste their time on people who might have prejudices against their ethnic group or age group? Do they want to be sure their faces are out there so I might recognize them in the mall, realize that I want to sell/buy a house, and walk up to do business? Or do they just do it because it's an industry standard and you kind of have to, because everybody else does?

So maybe somebody involved in the real estate business can tell me... why do realtors put their pictures in their advertising?

ETA: The bolded one is absolutely absurd.

I used to have my photo on my signs and on all of my advertising. I stopped when I changed agencies and coincidentally when I got a very spooky post card from Chicago, telling me that he would soon see me again.

It freaked me out, so I quit using my photos.

Realtors do use their photos so that people can identify with them. We're people just like everyone else and a friendly smile might put someone at ease. Really, it's nothing more complicated than that. Just like advertising agencies show their products, we're selling our services, and nothing attaches a presence more than a face.

On a similar note, why do realtors wear nametags EVERYWHERE? I've seen this across a broad spectrum of places, where I work and when I shop or run errands.

On the same note, I'm not going to walk up to some random stranger because they're wearing a nametag that has the "R" on it and their name.

Suzanne

I have actually gotten clients by wearing my name tag. In a gas station of all places. That person has since referred several other clients to me.

People love to talk about real estate, and if they see your name tag there is more of a chance to strike up a conversation with someone who otherwise wouldn't realize that you sell it for a living.

Realtors have so many tricks up their sleeves to gain prospects. Y'all just have no idea!

 

[NotAmused]

I have my real estate license and I have been an assistant for a real estate office for 2 years and from what I've heard, it's pretty much just because everyone does it. Also, sometimes it helps to get business if you look like a honest, professional, people person. I know if I were wanting to sell my house, I wouldn't just look at an ad with just a person's name and number and invite them over to my house for a listing appointment. Anyone could show up. Yes, it's wrong to judge people by appearance, but you want someone who is professional handling your home.

I'm sure real estate agents have other reasons, too, for placing their photos in advertisements, but these are the main reasons I've seen.

 

[Becky2005]

Or do they just do it because it's an industry standard and you kind of have to, because everybody else does?

I vote for this one! My DH got his Realtor's licenses at one point and he is the type that *hates* having his picture taken, so if he could get away without having his picture on things, he would have been more than happy to.

The office he was working out of, basically told him to go get his picture done for the website, etc....

He is no longer in the field but I really don't know of a specific reason as to why it's done other than just "that's how it's done".

Now their pictures are usually not on the for sale signs around here though.

 

[Mono~rail]

I'm not a realtor, but I've dealt with a few. I just always assumed it was to show their professional appearance.

I did know a real estate agent that I worked with before he became an agent. Let me tell you -- he just knew that he was God's gift to women. I didn't think he was anything special that was worth a second look, but plenty of the nurses around the hospital (where we worked together) thought he was hot stuff.

When we sold our first house, he was the buyers' agent. He left his card on the kitchen counter after he had shown the house, and his picture was hilarious. He was posed like he was modeling for an Abercrombie advertisement. It was seriously hilarious, even if you didn't know the guy. I wish I still had it because I would scan it in and post it.

 

[JR6ooo4]

the overall reason is to get your money. Whether you remember their name or face they want you to remember them!

Mikeeee

 

[disneyjunkie]

Do they want to be sure not to waste their time on people who might have prejudices against their ethnic group or age group?

That's exactly why one of my relatives has two sets of cards and flyers. One set includes her picture the other doesn't.

 

[disykat]

We used to have a mortician in town who had his family portrait on all his ads. Gross!

 

[Skywalker]

Some agents go too far. There is one lady in town who books a full page ad everyweek...at least 3/4 of the ad is of her freakishly huge smiling face while she holds a handful of sunflowers. Then there are a bunch of tiny pictures of actual properties for sale crammed in so small you need a magnifying glass. LOL.

 

[Daxx]

Hey -- when I go to an open house and the person showing the house doesn't look like the one in the photo, I'm prob. going to bolt figuring that the person there has killed the realtor and stashed the body in a closet and I'm going to be the next victim!!!!

 

[kathie859]

It's not just real estate agents, but all types of sales positions that benefit by putting a face with the name and organization. I work for a bank (in a sales capacity) and have my face on my business cards and most of my marketing materials. Additionally, if I donate a gift basket, etc. to a charity, you better believe that it has my organization's name prominantly displayed along with my information (usually I thow a card IN the gift basket and tie a few onto the ribbon.) It's SALES!! If people don't know me or know what I do, they can't buy from me!! And yeah, I have a name tag, too. It really helps people remember my name and to start conversations.

Vanity has nothing to do with it

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I agree with the above poster, it is a sales job. Of course they are going to advertise themselves.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Hey -- when I go to an open house and the person showing the house doesn't look like the one in the photo, I'm prob. going to bolt figuring that the person there has killed the realtor and stashed the body in a closet and I'm going to be the next victim!!!!

 

[Northstar]

It's not just real estate agents, but all types of sales positions that benefit by putting a face with the name and organization. I work for a bank (in a sales capacity) and have my face on my business cards and most of my marketing materials. Additionally, if I donate a gift basket, etc. to a charity, you better believe that it has my organization's name prominantly displayed along with my information (usually I thow a card IN the gift basket and tie a few onto the ribbon.) It's SALES!! If people don't know me or know what I do, they can't buy from me!! And yeah, I have a name tag, too. It really helps people remember my name and to start conversations.

Vanity has nothing to do with it

Oh, I never thought vanity had anything to do with it!

The recognition factor makes sense, sort of. Except that I'm a really text-based person, and what I remember is the words, KWIM? My eyes just kind of blur out the photo of you as unimportant... I want to buy your knowledge and your professional integrity, and I don't have any faith at all in judging those from a photo of you.

But I know sales people know their business! Just sayin' it doesn't work for me.

 

[barkley]

We used to have a mortician in town who had his family portrait on all his ads. Gross!

that's better than the one we used to have local to us-he participated in the 'welcome wagon' program (they come to new resident's homes with gifts, coupons and ads for the local buisnesses)-his gift to newbies was an old style egg-timer (the kind with sand) and printed on it was 'when your time runs out remember x mortuary for all your needs'

as far as realtors go i have to question some of their marketing choices (for themselves). the area we moved from had a HUGE home sales boom (houses in our neighborhood tripled in value within 5 years) so we were constantly inundated with realtor ads. they would leave cards and materials littering our front porch (i tossed them in the trash without looking at them), magnetic buisness cards (tossed too-unless it was one with an entire years calendar printed on it), one company planted an american flag on our front lawn every independance day for years (passed those on to relatives to put on graves). there were ads where the kids sat in the shopping carts, and TONS of junk mail everyday. the only realtor's info. i took note of was one of the 'old school' guys who had been in the area for decades. he only sent a mailer out quarterly and it listed the area homesales, the prices they sold for, and which ones he personaly sold-along with some info on sales trends in the area. he also included some info. about area events that would be occuring over the next few months (community stuff, local highschool games...). they were interesting and came infrequently enough i found them interesting to read.

as it happened when we went to sell we interviewed a few realtors, one being him and we found him to be the most professional, knowledgable and experienced in our area-he sold our home quickly and at a great price. all the marketing in the world is not going to improve a person's manner in dealing with people-and some of those photo laden/mass advertising realtors in area were in our experience very poor choices to go with (we purposely went out to open houses in our neighborhood ahead of listing to see what kind of information we could get out of a realtor if we presented ourselves as potential buyers-most were eliminated from future consideration by virtue of knowing little to nothing about the homes, the schools and the community).

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

That's exactly why one of my relatives has two sets of cards and flyers. One set includes her picture the other doesn't.

Then that person needs to be turned into their realtor association.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

One other thing - a lot of agents are now branding themselves. They pay big BIG bucks to have promotional campaigns drawn up - upwards of $20k in some instances.

Nine times out of ten, they're geared around a photo and a slogan and it's used everywhere from their websites, to their business cards, to their promotional postcards and flyers.

This is a VERY competitive industry and it's all about people remembering you. You put your face in front of them enough times, and make consistency the key, when they go to sell their house, hopefully they'll remember you.

 

[Mono~rail]

Do they want to be sure not to waste their time on people who might have prejudices against their ethnic group or age group?

That's exactly why one of my relatives has two sets of cards and flyers. One set includes her picture the other doesn't.

Then that person needs to be turned into their realtor association.

Turned in for what?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

that's better than the one we used to have local to us-he participated in the 'welcome wagon' program (they come to new resident's homes with gifts, coupons and ads for the local buisnesses)-his gift to newbies was an old style egg-timer (the kind with sand) and printed on it was 'when your time runs out remember x mortuary for all your needs'

as far as realtors go i have to question some of their marketing choices (for themselves). the area we moved from had a HUGE home sales boom (houses in our neighborhood tripled in value within 5 years) so we were constantly inundated with realtor ads. they would leave cards and materials littering our front porch (i tossed them in the trash without looking at them), magnetic buisness cards (tossed too-unless it was one with an entire years calendar printed on it), one company planted an american flag on our front lawn every independance day for years (passed those on to relatives to put on graves). there were ads where the kids sat in the shopping carts, and TONS of junk mail everyday. the only realtor's info. i took note of was one of the 'old school' guys who had been in the area for decades. he only sent a mailer out quarterly and it listed the area homesales, the prices they sold for, and which ones he personaly sold-along with some info on sales trends in the area. he also included some info. about area events that would be occuring over the next few months (community stuff, local highschool games...). they were interesting and came infrequently enough i found them interesting to read.

As a realtor, I question some of their advertising techniques! I've seen some off-the-wall stuff.

as it happened when we went to sell we interviewed a few realtors, one being him and we found him to be the most professional, knowledgable and experienced in our area-he sold our home quickly and at a great price. all the marketing in the world is not going to improve a person's manner in dealing with people-and some of those photo laden/mass advertising realtors in area were in our experience very poor choices to go with (we purposely went out to open houses in our neighborhood ahead of listing to see what kind of information we could get out of a realtor if we presented ourselves as potential buyers-most were eliminated from future consideration by virtue of knowing little to nothing about the homes, the schools and the community).

I don't have the statistics in front of me, but there is around a 95% drop-out rate for realtors in the first year. A lot of the agents that get their licenses have absolutely no idea what they're doing, and that's not limited to just marketing. So when you talk to a clueless agent, or see some stupid advertising materials, keep in mind that these might new agents trying to get their foot in the door (no pun intended).

Google "real estate and advertising" and see how many hits you get. Y'all get inundated with marketing materials - so do we!