May
6
2010

Top 5 Best (and Worst) REALTOR Slogans

Posted by - Sam Prochazka 10 Comments Posted in Advertising, Marketing

Let’s get right down to it, shall we:

Best REALTOR™ Slogans

#5. “My job is your future” - Good. So you understand how big of a deal a home purchase is for me.

#4. “Purveyor of fine homes to fine people” – Not bad; a little boring, but you have a good command of the language and demonstrate strong commitment to a targeted market.

#3. “Sold in 100 days, or I’ll buy it” - Does this belong in the top 5? Yes – because you stand out, commit, and I know I’ll have a guaranteed sale within 4 months.

#2. “I Never Forget You Have a Choice” - That’s what I like to hear – you’ll always have the right motivations while we’re working together.

#1. “Anyone can sell your home. I can sell it for more.” – Strong, assertive and straight to the point. Let me put you to the test.

Worst REALTOR™ Slogans

#5. “A Realtor You Can Trust” - Sounds like something your parole officer told you to say.

#4. “No Fancy Punchlines – Just Great Service” - Does this constitute an oxymoron? (Definitely a moron)

#3. “It’s the Energy!” - What does that even mean? I think your doctor over-prescribes stimulants… Out of curiosity, what’s his name (my friend wants to know…)?

#2. “Everything I Touch Turns to Sold!” – Ha ha! It’s funny, I’ll give you that. But now that the joke’s over can you introduce me to a real REALTOR™?

#1. “Spouses Selling Houses” – Do you include domestic disputes with showings?

Conclusion

This was a tough article to write because there are at least 20 terrible catch phrases for every good one. Some rules of thumb:

  • Use common sense – No one wants to hear you state the obvious – and no one is interested in self-indulgence. There’s also not much room for humor (there are exceptions of course), so keep it professional.
  • If you say something bold in your slogan, make sure you’re willing to eat, sleep, and breathe by it.
  • If you can’t come up with anything good, don’t worry: Clients won’t notice that you don’t have a catch phrase, but you might lose clients if you have a bad one.

What do you think? (For every comment you post on this article I’ll post another bad REALTOR™ slogan…)

Comments - Leave a Comment
  1. Kathryn said the following on March 3, 2011 at 12:49 pm:

    I swear, if I have to design another piece of marketing for “Your REALTOR For Life”, I might have to gouge my eyes out. Sure it says commitment. But it has been OVERUSED to DEATH. Please don’t use this any more. When I see this phrase … I see another dime-a-dozen Realtor I don’t want to hire. Sorry.

    Another one: “Dedicated to Excellence” or any variant thereof. Every other agent out there uses it. So who do I choose I ask you?

    The point of a tagline or slogan is to set you apart and when you use something canned it does just the opposite.

  2. Sam Prochazka said the following on May 19, 2010 at 9:38 am:

    Thanks Chris.

    I’m not sure I’d call it “arrogant”… “Highly-targeted” perhaps. As a matter of fact, the more I read it the more I like it. Perhaps I’m arrogant?

    Another bad slogan: “The Agent with a Heart”

    What about lungs?

    Sam

  3. Sam Prochazka said the following on May 19, 2010 at 9:32 am:

    Hi Ron,

    Thanks for the comment, and I agree wholeheartedly.

    My favorite bad REALTOR slogan: “Nothing is Impossible”

    Really? What about traveling at the speed of light?

    Sam

  4. Chris Charles said the following on May 19, 2010 at 9:30 am:

    Hi Sam,

    A colleague kindly told me I made it onto your list of half decent slogans. I read the comments and actually agree with the guy who said it sounded a bit arrogant. As a basic slogan it is rather schmoozy and I would be unlikely to trust any agent who was that sycophantic. However it always has the sketches with it that are designed to lighten the approach plus there is another level of contact for this particular phraseology:

    Slogan in Logo

    I am English with a typically self deprecating English sense of humor and in England a company such as Robertson’s that sells their marmalade and jams to the Queen, would often advertise that they are “Purveyors of fine jams to the Queen” so this was a bit tongue-in-cheek and would be picked up by the many English people who live on the North Shore where I work. The stick figure sketches also clearly remove any sense of sophistication from the slogan, at least I hope they do.

    I’m not making a defence against the fellow who made the “bit arrogant” comment. He is quite right but this may put it into a perspective and I thought the background might interest your readers.

    Chris

  5. Ron said the following on May 18, 2010 at 7:48 pm:

    Carpe Diem… Today is your day!
    Carpe Diem… for the ongoing collection of life!

  6. Sam Prochazka said the following on May 18, 2010 at 5:07 pm:

    Hi Frank,

    Thanks for the comment, and you’re right – I’m not a REALTOR – but I work with thousands. More importantly, I am privileged to work closely with many Top Producers in a variety of markets across North America.

    Before publishing an article I make sure it is consistent with the core values I’ve learned from the best in the industry:
    1. Be consistent
    2. Be committed
    3. Treat everything as an investment, and expect return

    Will time invested in a slogan generate return? Perhaps, but you’ll only ever be aware of the customers who appreciate your slogan (or don’t notice it), not those who were put off by it. Will your particular slogan hurt your business? Perhaps not.

    Also – I’ve only singled out the most common phrases in the industry (do a search for spouses selling houses and see how many come up):
    http://www.sellinghouses.com/
    http://www.spousessellinghouses.com/home/index.php
    http://themarellas.com/index.htm
    etc.

    The whole point of my articles is to open a conversation about preconceptions that exist in the industry. The number of discussions I’ve had about slogans over the years has taught me that it really doesn’t matter what your slogan is, as long as you’re aware who it’s targeting, and who it’s leaving out (it’s not hard to see how a slogan like, “It’s the Energy,” could eliminate a portion of a REALTOR’s market).

    In my opinion I’ve listed the top 5 best and worst slogans because that’s what my research has told me. Is it objective? No – of course not – but if you don’t agree with my ranking then you’re supporting the whole point of my article.

    As part of the deal, another phrase: “Let me get your home SOLD too!”

    Sam

  7. Frank said the following on May 18, 2010 at 3:42 pm:

    Hey Sam,

    I’m the REALTOR for life to my clients… My clients know they can always depend on me no matter if now, in five or in twenty years. And i did a transaction with Spouses with houses, which went pretty well. It’s not the slogan, it’s the result that the REALTORS produce. And when you’d be an agent you’d probably recognize how many agents out there have no slogans or, in your opinion good ones, and still don’t sell a friggin’ house per year…. So please leave your great advice in your pocket and start talking about things you might actually have knowledge of.

    Frank
    RE/MAX All Points Realty

  8. Sam Prochazka said the following on May 18, 2010 at 2:51 pm:

    Hi Chris,

    It’s all totally subjective which is another good reason to not have a slogan. Speaking of which, here’s another one as promised:

    “Your REALTOR for life”

    Sounds like a jail sentence.

    Sam

  9. Chris said the following on May 18, 2010 at 2:44 pm:

    Always wondered how the Realtors who promised “to sell your house in 100 days or they’ll buy it” can afford all those houses ???? – that’s one I could never understand even back in the good days?
    and fine houses to fine people? A bit arrogant, no?
    What if they are jerks? Truth in advertising – never overestimate what you can do, but be truthful what you DO do and follow thru! -
    Houses don’t sell themselves these days -unique marketing approaches can make or break a listing…

  10. Vincent Bruno said the following on May 6, 2010 at 2:05 pm:

    “Spouses Selling Houses” ??? Wow – that’s shameful.

    I guess it all depends on the market you’re targeting. Perhaps the above phrase was selected after weeks of market testing to appeal to their specific niche. More likely it was thought up during a bankruptcy hearing.

    I came across this post with a bunch more: http://activerain.com/blogsview/56808/realtor-tag-lines-on-parade

    Thanks for the post!

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