One of the best things about real estate is that there are hundreds of ways for Realtors to market their products and themselves. Marketing can be as simple as wearing a pin emblazoned with your company name everywhere you go, and it can be as complicated as sending out detailed market information. 

There are some agents that send me – and many others I’m sure – an e-mail a week with announcements about market reports, upcoming festivals, an open house or just a blog with some inspirational words. Anita Zabielski of Realty Executives Prestige always has something fun for my inbox that brightens my day. That small effort could be enough to reign in a new client, or get return business from an existing client who is pleased to not be forgotten.

I’ve been working alongside the real estate industry for almost two years now, so it takes a lot for me to really take notice of something new. I pay attention to every sign I see on the street and take note of everything that’s for sale. One thing that caught my eye recently was a RE/MAX sign unlike any I’d seen before. This particular listing happens to be on my running route, and every time I jog by Rozanne Kurman’s sign with a red-headed cartoon agent winking at me, I smile. I probably pass by 20 condos for sale, but hers always catches my eye because it is something different. Imagine if a potential client is in need of an agent and has no clue where to start, a sign that stands out from the rest could be the trick. 

Another agent that gets a shout-out for clever marketing is Matthew L. Shrake of Coldwell Banker, whose face graces the side of an apartment building right outside the Armitage El. Every morning on my way to work I see his mug on the side of the building, which makes it impossible to forget his name. 

For this year’s Marketing Issue, we rounded up a number of agents and a developer who are attracting clients and getting the word out there in a number of interesting ways. With the market still not back up to where we would like it to be, focusing your marketing efforts on what works right now is more important than ever. The experts in our cover story explain what you should do to make the most of your marketing dollars, and some suggestions to make sure your name is the one people are using when someone asks, “Hey, do you know any Realtors?”