- Episode 44 -
I want to start by thanking all the folks who reached out to me with comments on my last blog about my “out of the box” creative marketing ideas for an upscale rental community. One agent even wrote “I’m hungry for more ideas” so I thought I would share one that I just used this last weekend for the Memorial Day holiday – and it can be something you want to start thinking about for July 4th.
Memorial Day is the official kickoff to the summer – barbeques, picnics, kids out of school with nothing to do and lots and lots of buyers and sellers wanting to make the move before the next school year begins. This time of year is a great time to do some “patriotic marketing” to your farm areas: pop-bys to past clients, or reminders to those around you that you are a Realtor for when they need one. And if you do this idea company-wide, or even with other agencies, you might be able to get some free publicity out of it from your local news stations for making such a statement.
My team started this tradition a while back and it’s grown ever since with each passing “Red, White and Blue” celebration. We began putting American flags around different communities prior to the holiday. We place them either by the mailboxes or at the end of the driveways. One of my team members tried something new this time around and used clear door hanger bags in which he included the flag and his card but also an update on the recent sales in the subdivision and hung it on the owner’s garage door.
The Flags we use are about 16 inches high, giving you enough room to add your message or business card on the stick while still having plenty of room left to push the stick well into the grass without having to worry about the flag falling over. Taping the business card to the stick allows the tape to protect the card against those sudden afternoon thunderstorms. The recipient can simply cut off the card unscathed by the elements and keep it for future use and reuse the flag for the next holiday. When you do the entire development it sure looks great seeing all those flags (and your card) waving proudly in the summer breeze.
Every time we do this in each complex, development or subdivision we get noticed. Whether it’s a call, email or text from someone who received the flag, they are always thankful for the sentiment you provided. And time and time again when they do need to list their home or have a referral to send they remember those flags that were placed proudly on their lawns.
From all the marketing that we do over the course of the year, this has to be the most fulfilling. It truly means a lot when someone is driving through the area and they wave or even stop and thank you for the flag that is now adorning their property. Or they share a story about a family member or friend who is or was in the service and how much that American flag meant to them.
Sure it’s a good way to get future sellers and even buyers to the area but more importantly it’s about honoring those who have served our country…allowing us the freedom to do such marketing.
Kay Conageski is a professional Realtor® with The Keyes Company based in Plantation, Florida. Check out her RESAAS profile ›