2011 Branding Tools by Budget

Shop by Budget:

• Free Tools
• Low-Cost Solutions
• Premium Services and Tools

  Free Tools

As this variety of free tools shows, developing your brand doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking, but it can involve a considerable investment of time.

Social Networks
Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter
Free account set-up

As the popularity of social networking has grown, so has its value as a tool for promoting real estate services and demonstrating local expertise to potential clients. Profiles on all three of these networks are free and easy to set up; effective use requires regularly updating your content.

Blogs
Blogger/Wordpress
Free basic accounts

Blogging presents another effective tool for extending your brand’s reach with regular posts that demonstrate your knowledge of your market, areas of specialization, and the latest trends impacting buyers and sellers. As with social networking, effective use requires consistent effort.

REALTOR® Content Resource
http://members.houselogic.com/
Free for REALTORS®

The National Association of REALTORS® offers several ways to get free tips, guides, and research that you can pass along to consumers in order to differentiate yourself in the market. One of best sources of customizable info for your clients is the REALTOR® Content Resource, an online repository of homeowner-focused content that you can brand as your own and distribute through your Web site, blog, e-newsletters, social networks, and print promotions.

MarketSplash by HP (REALTOR Benefits® Partner)
www.marketsplash.com
Free

This Web-based service provides tools to develop and maintain a consistent look in marketing materials that you can print on your personal printer. It includes design templates for a personal logo, business cards, brochures, newsletters, and flyers.

Lowe’s Real Estate Marketing System (REALTOR Benefits® Partner)
www.LowesRealtorBenefits.com
Free

A Web-based direct-mail marketing program for NAR members: Enter your client contact info and the service will distributes Lowe’s discount coupons and rebate offers in a direct-mail piece featuring your photo, company logo, and contact information. Participating NAR members may also purchase Lowe’s gift cards at a 5 percent discount.

Return to Top

  Low-Cost Solutions

There’s a diverse selection of affordable tools, services, and products that can be used to develop and promote your brand and keep your name before clients. Some of them involve a one-time expense and depend on the type and quantity of an item that you order. Others require ongoing fees.

Campaigner for Real Estate
Campaigner.com
Pricing starts at $10 a month.

This Web-based service sends and tracks e-mail marketing messages with the sender’s name, photo, company logo, and contact info. The service provides customizable templates for promoting open houses, active listings, and keeping in touch with past clients. The base price covers distribution of an unlimited number of e-mails to up to 1,000 addresses.

Client Direct Newsletter
www.clientdirect.net
$149 yearly subscription

This service provides and distributes a monthly real estate newsletter that can be branded with your name, photo, contact info, company name, and logo. Subscribers build each issue with listing information, original content, and articles.

Neighborhood/Community Web sites
www.neighborhoodprofessional.com
$15 per month for a single neighborhood site.

This Web-based service provides the templates and tools for building and maintaining a neighborhood or community Web site. Sites feature your photo and contact information, original content, local news, a calendar of events, links to area resources, and a search engine for local listings.

FedEx Office (REALTOR Benefits® Partner)
http://www.realtor.org/realtor_benefits/benefits_partners/fedex
Pricing depends on product, quantities ordered

With this program, NAR members can save up to 40 percent on marketing materials developed and ordered through the FedEx Office Web site. Users can upload their own designs and print orders or use online design templates to create personally branded business cards, brochures, flyers, mailings, signs, and banners.

Real Estate Direct Mail Marketing Promotions
www.realestatepostcardsonline.com
Price depends on piece and quality ordered

This Web-based service provides the tools for ordering a variety of direct-mail postcards and promotional pieces with a consistent look. Design templates can be personalized with sender’s photo, logo, contact information and message; mailing services also are available.

Custom Logo Designs
www.logomojo.com
Prices start at $195

This is one of several Web-based services for professional logo development and design. Users complete a form explaining business focus, relevant details, preferred colors, and fonts. The basic fee covers six design concepts, two rounds of revisions, and the approved logo on CD-ROM for unrestricted use. Step-up plans and design services are available.

Real Estate Marketing Premiums
www.sparrowandjacobs.com
Prices vary, depending on item and quantities

This company’s online catalog offers a broad selection of marketing premiums and promotions that can be personalized with your company name, logo, and contact information. The selection includes newsletter kits, refrigerator magnets, seeds, calendars, door hangers, and a variety of marketing kits.

Closing Gifts
http://www.topclosinggifts.com/
Prices vary, depending on item and quantities

This site specializes in closing gifts as a show of appreciation and continual reminder of the real estate professional. The selection includes products for the home and garden, gourmet foods, floral arrangements, stemware, and special items for the first-time home buyer.

Return to Top

  Premium Services and Tools

Beyond the basics outlined above are a range of long-term branding/marketing solutions and turnkey services that can be used to increase visibility, establish your credentials, and promote you and your real estate services.

Realtor Solutions Center
Realtor.com
Price varies depending on services ordered, market area

Realtor.com provides a selection of fee-based marketing solutions for promoting individual expertise and your listings. Some options include Featured Homes in search engine results on Realtor.com; Featured Community to promote you as the local expert; Buyer’s Assistant to capture leads from property searches; and Featured Agent listing.

Boopsie Branded Smartphone App
www.boopsie.com
$30 a month

This is one example in the expanding selection of branded smartphone apps for mobile searches of the MLS, where available. Subscribers distribute the app, which is personally branded with their photo, company, and contact info. This service is available for all popular smartphone operating systems.

Home Actions E-mail Newsletters
www.homeactions.net
Subscriptions starts at $35/month, $336/year

This e-mail marketing platform provides an automated solution for keeping your name before clients, who receive a monthly or biweekly newsletter with original content and articles on home management topics. It includes a sign-up form widget for a Web site and integrated social media tools. Step-up plans and additional marketing options are available.

Real Estate Branding and Marketing Services
www.dakno.com
Pricing starts at $549 for SwiftSite Web site

This company offers a menu of marketing services to develop, promote, and manage a real estate branding campaign. The basic SwiftSite is a customizable Web site incorporating an existing logo, tagline, images, and content. Other services include logo development, design services, and branded pages for social networking sites and blogs. Total cost depends on elements of the campaign.

Web and Branding Development Services
www.ProStepMarketing.com
Base price TBD

Another of the handful of companies specializing in real estate branding and marketing services, Pro Step Marketing evaluates your branding efforts, goals, and target audience, then advises you on what you need for a more effective branding campaign. Services include logo development and design for print and the Web.

Return to Top

This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of the products in this category. NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and isn’t responsible for changes in product info. Prices are the vendors’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change.