There are a few things you should never leave home without – the staple three for many people I know are keys, wallet, phone. These three items seem to be able to get you through most of the situations you'll find yourself in on any given day which is great, but what's missing from this list, and what these items don't enable you to do, is maximise your marketing and business potential.
When the word marketing is uttered most people envisage bank-breaking budgets and far flung efforts to capture attention and gain business, but three of the best marketing tools a real estate agent shouldn't leave the house without are low cost, and easy to have with you every day. What are they I can hear you begging in anticipation? Well I shall tell you.
First – business cards. They'll even fit in your wallet, so you can technically work it into the first three essentials I've already mentioned. It's always the way that when you don't have a business card on you, you run into someone that you want to give one to. So to avoid this, just never leave home without them!
Second is your name badge, although this should apply only to when you're in suitable attire. Wearing your real estate name badge if you're running down to the local shop in your tracksuit and ugg boots probably isn't the professional image you really want to portray.
When it comes everyday business, you never know who you're going to meet, but when it comes to real estate, you also never know who in that group will be selling a house, or will know someone who is. Wearing a name badge that clearly identifies you as a real estate agent often results in people actively wanting to talk to you about property, and when you've been invited to do so, having a pitch at the ready is a good and welcome thing. Century 21's gold jacket is a shining example of this – the number of times I and others in the network have been approached in public when able to be clearly identified as a real estate agent via the gold jacket, is phenomenal. Get this happening for you on a regular basis too!
Finally, if you have a car, brand it. Real estate agents spend a lot of time on the road, and the cost to have your car promote your business is likely to pay for itself tenfold in no time. Any time you're driving, you are advertising your business – for a one off cost. Car signage these days can even be through use of magnets, so if you're sharing a car you can choose when to promote your business.
Every day presents a marketing opportunity for you to continue to build your name and brand in real estate – don't waste even one of them!