I deleted your first comment, as per your request.

I think you raise some really interesting challenges.

As Jim said, each layer has to consider who its customer is….every one, except for the agent, needs to consider the layer above it(or below in your illustration), even more-so than it should consider the consumer in its social media efforts.

NAR for example, needs to nail down it’s value proposition to those it serves even more than it needs to prove anything to consumers. The same goes for the franchise, the company and the team.

One of the big issues this raises is the fact that except for the franchisor, pretty much everyone else in the brand-layer-cake has the Agent as the consumer. And we can now add web-based brands such as Redfin and BlueRoof to the mix.

But unless NAR goes totally silent, it has no choice but to impact its members via the public. It’s such a visible entity, and is in the news, and so on, that any missteps by NAR will reflect on all realtors (capital R or no). Same with any appropriately large entity, like Realogy or RE/MAX.

I suppose a question would be to someone like you, Lisa:

What would YOU want from each of the overbrands above you?

And how much are you willing to pay to each of them for whatever it is that you want from them?

-rsh

I deleted your first comment, as per your request.

I think you raise some really interesting challenges.

As Jim said, each layer has to consider who its customer is….every one, except for the agent, needs to consider the layer above it(or below in your illustration), even more-so than it should consider the consumer in its social media efforts.

NAR for example, needs to nail down it’s value proposition to those it serves even more than it needs to prove anything to consumers. The same goes for the franchise, the company and the team.

One of the big issues this raises is the fact that except for the franchisor, pretty much everyone else in the brand-layer-cake has the Agent as the consumer. And we can now add web-based brands such as Redfin and BlueRoof to the mix.

But unless NAR goes totally silent, it has no choice but to impact its members via the public. It’s such a visible entity, and is in the news, and so on, that any missteps by NAR will reflect on all realtors (capital R or no). Same with any appropriately large entity, like Realogy or RE/MAX.

I suppose a question would be to someone like you, Lisa:

What would YOU want from each of the overbrands above you?

And how much are you willing to pay to each of them for whatever it is that you want from them?

-rsh

>But being a well known name does not make a brand. A brand is something different. Its backed by specific promises it keeps, trusts it forms that creates an identity that distinguishes it from others.

Thank you for saying that so well.

>But being a well known name does not make a brand. A brand is something different. Its backed by specific promises it keeps, trusts it forms that creates an identity that distinguishes it from others.

Thank you for saying that so well.

While the study cites C21 as the most well known brand, I will argue that it’s the most well know name in real estate. But being a well known name does not make a brand. A brand is something different. Its backed by specific promises it keeps, trusts it forms that creates an identity that distinguishes it from others.

I would argue that C21 has not built that cache of brand value in the consumer world, it has hardly done it inside real estate.

But I do agree its the most recognized name in real estate. But ask any of the respondents of that survey to tell you what makes C21 different from ERA or Remax or anything and they would be hard pressed.

While the study cites C21 as the most well known brand, I will argue that it’s the most well know name in real estate. But being a well known name does not make a brand. A brand is something different. Its backed by specific promises it keeps, trusts it forms that creates an identity that distinguishes it from others.

I would argue that C21 has not built that cache of brand value in the consumer world, it has hardly done it inside real estate.

But I do agree its the most recognized name in real estate. But ask any of the respondents of that survey to tell you what makes C21 different from ERA or Remax or anything and they would be hard pressed.

I take exception to your illustration-the point of the pyramid should be at the top, pointing to the consumer, with the rest of the layers providing the foundation to the agent who is the ultimate point of contact with the consumer.

As Jim said, each layer has to consider who its customer is….every one, except for the agent, needs to consider the layer above it(or below in your illustration), even more-so than it should consider the consumer in its social media efforts.

NAR for example, needs to nail down it’s value proposition to those it serves even more than it needs to prove anything to consumers. The same goes for the franchise, the company and the team. Ultimately, no one can offer the consumer value or prove our worth to the public better or more easily than the agent in the field. So, the supporting layers need to offer value and support to the next layer to allow the ultimate goal of meeting consumer needs to happen. As you said, doing that without interfering with the next layer’s efforts is the art of it.

Being a few months in to joining a Better Homes and Gardens franchise, I am pleased at how this particular Brand has integrated social media in to their plan…offering all the tools and support it can to help the affiliates navigate the new world of real estate while being very aware of its role to the franchisee.

More tricky is defining the role of the franchisee, which struggles to balance the needs of the older mindset of agent that expects the company to generate leads, etc, to the new, self-supporting agent of the future…the path of the social media ‘sell’ to the folks on the ground is rocky, in our area at least.

But now I’m starting to ramble and probably thinking too much of my own particular little world here. Thanks for bringing this conversation up, I’ve been thinking about this in my own confused way and you have helped to organize my mind a bit

I take exception to your illustration-the point of the pyramid should be at the top, pointing to the consumer, with the rest of the layers providing the foundation to the agent who is the ultimate point of contact with the consumer.

As Jim said, each layer has to consider who its customer is….every one, except for the agent, needs to consider the layer above it(or below in your illustration), even more-so than it should consider the consumer in its social media efforts.

NAR for example, needs to nail down it’s value proposition to those it serves even more than it needs to prove anything to consumers. The same goes for the franchise, the company and the team. Ultimately, no one can offer the consumer value or prove our worth to the public better or more easily than the agent in the field. So, the supporting layers need to offer value and support to the next layer to allow the ultimate goal of meeting consumer needs to happen. As you said, doing that without interfering with the next layer’s efforts is the art of it.

Being a few months in to joining a Better Homes and Gardens franchise, I am pleased at how this particular Brand has integrated social media in to their plan…offering all the tools and support it can to help the affiliates navigate the new world of real estate while being very aware of its role to the franchisee.

More tricky is defining the role of the franchisee, which struggles to balance the needs of the older mindset of agent that expects the company to generate leads, etc, to the new, self-supporting agent of the future…the path of the social media ‘sell’ to the folks on the ground is rocky, in our area at least.

But now I’m starting to ramble and probably thinking too much of my own particular little world here. Thanks for bringing this conversation up, I’ve been thinking about this in my own confused way and you have helped to organize my mind a bit