We (Realtors) try way too hard.
Our industry, at some point in our past, quit naming real estate brokerages after the founders of the company (or their market location) and began using adjectives and adverbs implying increasing levels of superiority. Glance at any roster of companies in any MLS Board and you will see a list of names suggesting perfection, self-actualization and/or rapture.
I can only assume that there are more than a handful of clients who have experienced less than an ‘elite’ or ‘superior’ experience (or worse) from ‘Super-Duper Elite Realty’ or ‘Awesome Real Estate’ (I actually found a company branding under ‘Awesome Real Estate‘ in Florida!)
Put down the Thesaurus now and step away.
_____ Realty
If we really wanted to name our companies accurately, we should try giving them names like:
- Consistently 20 Minutes Late Real Estate
- Never Returned Your Call Properties
- Probably Should Wash My Car if I am Going to Show Property Today Realty
- Ill-Prepared Associates
I know I could go on creating names for quite a while and I am sure the public could, too.
Focus on Service
The practice of naming a company after an action verb or superlative term which rarely describes the level of service provided only calls attention to the lack of connection between the promised and delivered results. It hurts us all.
So maybe, instead of trying to outdo ourselves with names that ring extremely hollow, notably arrogant and often just plain ole dumb, maybe we should be focusing on providing what the public wants … knowledge, insight, analysis, value, transparency. Focusing on what our clients want seems so obvious but for some unknown reason, we call ourselves ‘elite’ when our service levle is the exact opposite.
Portals or Agents?
The big news in our industry is the increasingly powerful impact of the online portals of Trulia, Zillow and some ‘yet to be named’ company currently in its beta test somewhere in a garage in Silicon Valley. As we spend our time trying to create a name that makes us appear more important than we actually are, these behemoths, stocked with drawerfuls filled with cash and workstations filled with Stanford graduates, are currently in the process of creating REAL value for the client. And guess what, they are doing it (or at least the public feels that way.)
At One South, we are attempting to do the same thing (adding value, not renaming our company to Superior Elite Best Thing Ever Realty.) By using the data provided to us by our MLS, applying advanced analysis AND local knowledge (something Trulia and Zillow’s computers in California and Washington will never have), we provide our clients with true insight into the marketplace.
For now, we will keep our boring name and focus on providing our clients with the intelligence and analysis they need to make informed decisions.
