Jacqueline Kyo Thomas
Looking to separate yourself from all of the other real estate agents out there? Start with a unique and memorable slogan (a.k.a. tagline).
Never underestimate the power of slogans. A slogan is more than just a catchy phrase. It’s one of the most important elements of your marketing campaign. It allows you to quickly convey who you are and what you’re able to offer.
An effective real estate slogan does two things at the same time (and almost immediately):
- It reflects the real estate goal of your target audience.
- It echoes your unique brand identity and value proposition.
For example, if you’d like to appeal to a buyer group that appreciates the modern approach, you may use a slogan similar to Redfin's “Full-Service Agents, Modern Technology.” This slogan defines Redfin as forward-thinking and comprehensive in its approach, perfect for a client who may be looking for a wide range of services, such as 3D home scans and the ability to book appointments seamlessly online.
If you want to show your buyers that you'll provide individualized service, you may opt for a slogan like Dolly Lenz's “Client Focused. Results Driven.™” This slogan builds on Dolly’s depth of experience in the real estate industry and focuses on results.
In just a few words, your real estate slogan can help your clients understand what you bring to the table. Everyone has something unique. Your slogan should highlight your something special.
So, let’s talk about how to create an effective slogan for your real estate business. Below are 14 tips to help you come up with a tagline that resonates with your brand message.
1. Choose Words That Define Your Real Estate Mission and Persona
To create a slogan, you’ll first need to brainstorm. Choose words that describe the following:
- Your identity as a real estate agent
- The service that you provide
- What sets your service apart from your competitors
- Your target clientele
This is a good time to break out the thesaurus (or check out Power Thesaurus for a handy online wordfinder).
2. Keep It Short
To be effective, your slogan needs to be short. No one wants to read a paragraph-long slogan. Even a sentence is pushing it. The ideal slogan is six words or less. And even if you’re able to whittle your slogan down to five words, don’t be afraid to trim some more.
3. Make It Clear
Clarity is better than clever. Make sure that your message is clear and easy to understand by everyone.
4. Use Short, Easy to Read Words
Piggybacking off of the last tip, your slogan should be easy to read. So easy that a caveman can do it. (See what I did there?)
If I need to be smarter than a 5th grader to understand your slogan, it’s too complicated. Opt for short, easy to read and pronounce words. And simplify to the lowest common denominator when it comes to word choice. Instead of a fancy word like “devour,” use a simpler word like “eat.” Don’t ask your reader to reference a dictionary when reading your slogan.
5. Avoid Tongue Twisters
Your slogan shouldn’t read like a tongue twister. Remember clarity over cleverness. Here’s a quick test. Can you say your slogan three times fast without tripping over yourself?
6. Choose Positivity
Whenever possible, use an upbeat tone to generate a positive feeling about your real estate brand. Opt for positive words such as accomplish, believe, champion, delight, effective, and so on. For a greater selection, check out this positive words vocabulary list.
7. Incorporate Real Estate Terms
When I think soup, I think, “Mmm Mmm Good,” and then I think of Campbell’s. When a prospective client thinks real estate, they should recall your brand in the same way. A memorable slogan will help with this.
Choose a slogan that incorporates a real estate term like home, properties, or even real estate. This way, a prospective client will associate you (and your slogan) with real estate. When the time comes to seek real estate services, they’ll remember your creative slogan.
8. Don't Oversell Yourself
Don’t exaggerate your experience or know-how. Contrary to its intention, a slogan that sets you up as the very best agent of all time is not likely to inspire trust. Plus, it’s difficult to back up those claims anyway. Instead of using your slogan to inflate your ego, use it to help people see the value of your service. Promise but don’t overpromise. Be honest in what you can deliver.
If you do choose to sell yourself, bring real numbers and dates, such as “Voted Top Selling Agent in 2019.”
9. Match It With Your Message
While not everyone will take the time to read your “About” page, the majority will read your slogan. If you could distill your “About” page into 10 words or less, what would you say? Now, cut away the excess and you have the rough draft of your slogan.
10. Match Your Logo
Can’t come up with an idea for your real estate slogan? Take a look at your logo. Ideally, your logo and your slogan should match and play off of each other.
11. Keep It Consistent
Your slogan should match the rest of your brand message. If you’re trying to convey trust and authority, your slogan shouldn’t be funny, punny, or irreverent. Instead, carry the same tone through your slogan as you do with the rest of your branding.
12. Sleep On It
After you’ve come up with a slogan (or five), take a few days to think about it. Some slogans may seem right in the moment, but after you’ve taken some time to reflect on the message, you may decide that it doesn’t feel right.
Ask yourself: Does this slogan truly represent your real estate business? Will it speak to your core clientele?
13. Test Multiple Slogans
As you’re brainstorming slogans for your business, you’ll probably create two or three that you love. When you can’t decide which slogan works best, crowdsource it! Conduct an informal study with your friends, family, previous clients, mentors, and/ or colleagues.
Because you want to get their knee-jerk reaction, don’t explain what your slogan means. Either they get it or don’t. And if they don’t get it, then it’s best to drop that slogan altogether.
To make testing easy on you, use a survey tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey which you can link to within email. If you’re conducting the test over social media, you can also opt for the built-in survey tools.
14. Don't Feel Trapped
Finally, remember that you’re not married to your slogan from now until the end of time. As you grow and evolve in the business, you may shed your previous slogan and point of view. You’ll inevitably learn more about yourself, especially your strengths, and also your clientele.
Find a tagline that matches who you are and what you offer right now. If and when that changes, return to the drawing board and come up with another slogan. Bookmark this post.
Additional Resources
Before you get started on your real estate slogan, check out these related posts: