Realtor Egos Gone Amock
To Fellow RealtorsHave you ever noticed the hobby of realtors often seems to be posting or inserting the largest photo of themselves where every they can find a place to do so? I call it realtor egos run amok.
[I just blurred out the face as I don't want to hurt anybody]. What does this guy think this is...a calendar competition! In what other professions do business people plaster photos of themselves at every opportunity? Do you really think your photo is going to get your business surging? Is it egos gone wild 
or just some bad judgement? I think it depends on the realtor.
To be fair, I remember when I first got my license. I thought I was important now that I was one of perhaps 8,000 other realtors in the area now. I found out I was not. I was just another independent contractor hungry for business and had nothing to be puffed up about. One of my first postcards...a variation of this one below used the line, "Like the Seville, I promise a smooth ride." How CHEESY COULD I GET!##!#@! 
And I did make it a point to get my photo as large as possible on the business card or other literature I handed out:
But as I've developed my business into less of me and more of my services I realized my photo was not too important...what I could do for people was/is important who are looking for Washington DC real estate. So my photo got smaller and smaller and now does not exist on the front of the business card.
So there are some ego maniac realtors out there as in many profession, but in most cases it is just bad judgement. The realtor is using their photo as their brand/logo. The trap of this is that the realtor is afraid to change their photo on their marketing supplies because they don't look like their "brand" anymore as 5-20 years have gone by. I know so many realtors who look nothing like their brand and it is hilarious. A face may or may not be the best way to approach branding oneself. I'll let a business consultant blog about that....So do forgive my colleagues if we ever seem to be egomaniacs. I can assure you most realtors are just regular people trying to pay their bills who would do almost anything to help their clients. But for those jerk realtors out there with arrogant spirits...you suck! 
One thing is for sure...many of these realtors might also want to do some modeling:
And a new card just came in from my colleague Frank of franklyrealty.com. Very brave of you, Frank, to admit to this:
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Comments
Jay Seville
JARheads--good one. I sent this post to a lender with whom I have a very synergistic relationship. He replied in this manner (leaving names out), "I know who that is. He is XXXX XXXXXth’s nephew. A real cocky jerk.
Call my cell when you get a second."
I would add though that we shouldn't knock car salesmen. Many are fine people who want the best for the consumers. Like any profession you get the whole gamut of charcter, integrity or sliminess. Same applies to the buyers I work with. In a people industry, you get all the positive and neg.s of human beings.
J
Frank
How about this card:
Jay Seville
Frank, send me the jpeg of the card and I'll add to the post that you submitted it since it didn't show up in the comments section.
Dave Lopez
I agree and disagree. When I first got into this business I didn't understand why Realtors cards had pics. After all, in the real world of business there are no pics. Years ago before all this high tech stuff was here, Realtors did farming by knocking on doors, etc (I know some still do)so by having a pic, they (consumers)knew who you were and especially in the local small town community. Another reason, referring Realtors want to know if you dress professionally, example; I knew a very pretty female who took a photo showing off her new "store boughts" Well, if I had a conservative client, I definately would not send them to her! On the other side, pics do say "look at me" as some go over the top. I know for me, if I have a card with a pic, it is easier to remember that person vs writng something about that person so that I remember them. If you think about it, most companies have a pic of source (logo) so that we can quickly remember them.
Japaul777
It's the I want to be famous syndrome. Just watch the auditions at American Idol-- how many of those people knew they were terrible but just wanted to be on TV?
KG
Unfortunately, there are plenty of fields that plaster themselves all over the place. Realtors aren't the wrost offenders though. Lawyers are. Plastic Surgeons come in at least the top three also.
My take - Chronically under-advertised persons: Cab drivers. On the rare occasion, you might see a picture of one in the Post Office, but for some reason, never on a billboard. Makes you think, huh?
Sandy
The whole picture thing drives me nuts. My belief is that people do it out of fear that they won't be remembered. I do put my picture on a lot of things like postcards, but never on a business card. I understand why others do it, because they are told and therefore believe it's all part of their personal brand. But that simply illustrates their lack of understanding of what a brand actually is, or how to build one.
One guy who has a great brand and never puts pictures of himself on stuff? Greg Swann at Bloodhound. He gets brand. 99% of people in our industry do not.
Jay Seville
I'm impressed. A realtor who reads Bloodhound. Others I recommend are the Future of Real Estate Marketing, RSS Pieces, The tomato, etc.
gotta run!
jay
Sandy
Yup, those are all on my required reading list. I have a blog of my own so I also read the blogs of others. Just found yours. You're funny!
Donna
I agree with you about the Realtor’s ego. I call them JAR heads ( Just Another Realtor). I am embarrassed for them. We are to be professionals, not used car salesmen.
Real Estate “professional” , Richmond, VA