Gary Woltal's Blog

Gary, I must take a little cumbrance at this.  Firstly, I don't see how it could make a better agent - it's only advertising.  Sell homes faster - I don't think so.  But I do have my car partially wrapped, I do feel that it is good advertising and quite cheap when you look at the cost, how long it lasts, etc.  And, yes, I have gotten call off of the car ad.  And, yes, it does get noticed and people do remember it.  It supposedly comes off easily and then you just have your car detailed.  So where did you get this pick.  Since this is a Florida agent obviously and you are in Texas?  Now, this is not really a good picture and is actually just the proof of what they put on my car.  I guess I should finally take a picture of it since I've had it on for over a year now. 

I have this feeling of wanting to be unrecognized sometimes!  Am I alone?  I guess some people have the second vehicle that they drive if they are going to the doctor's office, the eye doctor, the dentist, or the permanent cosmetics office.  A fellow agent wanted to borrow my car one day because she didn't want to be recognized.  I still don't know what she was going to be doing but it sorta verified my thinking that you don't have to be branded 24 hours a day.

Hi Gary,

I do not think I would ever do something like that, but that's me.

Whatever gets the attention to the buyer and sellers I say DO IT

Wow.  That Florida vehicle is seriously over the top.  I think the only thing these vehicle wraps are good for is inflating an agents ego (sorry Marc).  With that said I don't have signs on my car or wear a name tag, which puts ME outside the norm for a lot of agents.  My personalized license plate is about as far as I can see going.

Gary - I'm kind of a wallflower so this type of HEY LOOK AT ME - I'M AN AGENT AND I'M WONDERFUL type of advertising on this vehicle is just too much.  It's also too ridiculous to be taken seriously by the kinds of buyers I want to attract.  Not only that, as a female, I'd feel terribly vulnerable driving around some neighborhoods advertising what I do for a living.  That is NOT how I want to prospect for clients.  But then, that's me. 

I think the decked out cars fit some personality types more than others for sure. Nothing wrong either way, but some of them you have to admit do get to be pretty amazing! Maybe it's the artist in ourselves expressing that part of us.

More power to them. If it helps them attract business then I think it is great. One additional way to separate yourself from the crowd.

Sean Allen

I'm not sure I'd ever do this...I have a license plate holder in front and back that says "Mary Warren, Realtor" or top and my web address on the bottom.  That's enough advertising for me.  I have seen this kind of thing around town though

I did see an old 57 Cadillac, done in Keller Williams Red, with the logo painted on the doors and name of agent.  It was kind of classy!

Gary - Congratulations on your gold star!

Certainly it has to fit your style, but a moving billboard seems a good way to increase name recognition

Hi Gary,

Well, I am not a Realtor, but guilty as charged.  I did it for one main reason: Branding is very important to me and my business, so if I have to drive around doing estimates, going to networking events etc., I might as well be building name recognition.  Do Realtors do it because or ego or brand building (name recognition)?  Not sure.  But, when someone refers a Realtor to their friend and they have seen the name before, it helps give some legitimacy to them.  That's just my opinion....

As far as resale of the car, its not paint.  It's a vinyl wrap that will actually keep the car from fading and chipping...so the resale value might be greater!!  Who would have thought!  The down side is you can't take it through a normal car wash as it might cause the wrap to peel...hand washing is recommended.  It's a real pain...

-E

There are a few reasons I like the idea of vehicle graphics, if it is done right.  First of all, it does generate leads.  Another reason is that it allowed me to take a 100% deduction for the car as a business expense.  I think aside from that it does lend a bit of credibility.  Not many people would wrap their cars with graphics and their contact info if they were not serious about what they were doing.  When I pull up to a FSBO or prospective clients home, they know what I'm there for...

The only negative is you can't cut people off in traffic like you used to when you didn't have your cell phone number plastered across the back window...

Hi Gary,

Congrats on the feature. That first photo leaves me speechless. I guess it comes down to whatever floats your boat!

I think with commitment it's like the story of the breakfast table with the bacon and eggs. Now the chicken was interested while the pig was committed. Driving up to a FSBO home in a decked out SUV, I can see the curtains being opened by the sellers. It's either, wow, this Realtor is "committed," or "honey, get a load of this!" If we could only hear what people think!

Gary,

Congrats on the featured post.  I have a very innocuous gold plate on the back of both our cars that says www.FranGattiHomes.com.  I guess it works, because that is the only place I have that web address and it gets hits. 

Hi Gary,

1st- Thanks for taking the time to comment on my blog about Thank You's yesterday. 

I like this post.  While I don't personally see anything wrong with agents being creative in their marketing efforts - as this will hopefully help sellers get their houses sold, I've opted not to use my vehicle as a form of getting my name out.  I've thought about it numerous times.  Problem is, that my driving habits might not always reflect positively on my real estate business...... 

 

I think they are just too cool!! Ginger Magoon has one and it is so cute!

Gary, it has nothing to do with my ego or a slow market.  It has everything to do with branding and getting our name out there.  As an independent company, going the extra "mile" with the car has contributed to our success.

Cool car Joseph!

I used to have magnetic sign.  Never got me business, but was branding.  I certainly watched how I drove!!  don't use them anymore. 

Personally, I see many benefits from this type of thing. I work expireds heavily, so I can see where pulling up in a decked out wrapped vehicle would get attention and break the ice a little bit... think of it as a conversation starter... Not only from the homeowner I'm going to visit, but their neighbors also. It's all about branding and recognition. When someone gets a card from me in the mail, if they've seen my branding around town, they instantly recognize me, which lends a little bit of a credibility advantage over the other 50 agents that mailed them something... and these vehicles DO get noticed! I would imagine that when I pull up to the house in a wrapped car, once they see it, they know why I'm there, so there's no surprise or "who are you and why are you knocking on my door?"

This is actually in my 2008 marketing plan, so I'll let you know how it turns out. What I don't get is why you would only want to be recognized some of the time and not all of the time. It's all about branding and building relationships, and that's a FULL TIME deal. If you're doing it part time, then you're only getting some of the business you could be getting. Why not get it all?

One thing I know for sure though.... I'm going to have to slow my roll and learn how to not cut people off.

Now that I have got my vehicle lettered I try to notice others.  The magnetic signs and license plate frames and small lettering are hard to read while driving.  I drive around and purposely look for what the vehicles are advertising and usually cannot read them because they are too small.

I also did it so that I can get brand awareness from not only Realtors, but also the general public.  No offense Realtors, but I don't want to only rely on one source for referrals.

BTW, out of courtesy, you should edit the picture you have in the post and blot out the license plate number.

Gary - I might consider something like this, but I probably won't because I want to allow myself the freedom for road rage.  :-) 

OK, I'm curious... what does it cost to wrap an average car?

I wouldn't do it....  I would love to have a bunch of little cars with my info all around my area but I would not one to drive in one myself!!!....hehe!  I have thought about putting my website on my car somewhere inconspicuous though... my husband said no.... my big black suburban would take quite a wrap!!!

I thought I recognized the name... Denise whose vehicle you have pictured is a member of AR.  She's never blogged though.

Home : Blogs : Denise Madan : Denise's Blog

This user has not entered anything in their blog yet.

;- (

In the midwest a full body wrap on most mid sized cars runs between $1500 and $4000 dollars. I managed to have 2 large decals as in 3ft X 1ft with my website/logo done for $165 and I get lots of comments. 

Cheers,

David Swierczynski

Just a thought...do you want some people to know you're a real estate agent, home inspector, etc., or do you want everyone to know it?  Why do it all if you're going to be inconspicuous with it?  It takes creativity to stand out in a crowd!! 

Gary I do not get that crazy (I hope) here is my post from the 28th showing my truck:

 Your Vehicle says a lot about your Business!

 

 

I know that some people get carried away.

Charles, that is an awesome license plate!  Joe

I know this branding on the vehicles works, from a phone number and web site all the way to the full wrap. Just yesterday I jotted down a home repair number off a truck. You see it with Molly Maids, plumbers, lawn mowing companies, and inspectors, but the Realtor bunch is a highly creative crowd for sure. Wow Charles, you really secured a great vanity license plate for yourself.

It cost $4K to do the full wrap on my Scion.  The cool part was I won the wrap for free in a company contest! I just had to pay for installation, about $800.

 

I personally think that advertising a company (termite, inspection,security) is OK. Because it's almost like the company representatives must use these cars.

But for individuals, I, myself think it's tacky.

And there's part of the problem (in my opinion). So many agents don't take their real estate business seriously enough. We are not just individuals, we are selling a product, a company, a business. If you want to be big, you have to think and operate big.

Gary,

We have plenty of these cars all over our valley.  I personally do not mind them and some really have caught my attention.  However,  I have no idea why some agents decide to put the little magnetic signs on the back.  I passed one the other day and could not even read his name and phone number.  If the consumer cannot see it, then why have it.  Also, I am curious of how many people out there can honestly say that this has helped them secure more business.  Maybe brand recognition?

What is your comments.  

I use to have the large magnets on my car, but when people I barely knew started telling me about how they saw me here or there, I decided that I wanted a little less exposure when I was doing personal business.

I'm intrigued by the car wraps and think they are appropriate for some businesses, but I have to agree with many of the comments here that they really are over the top and tacky. 

While it does make a vehicle stand out, sometimes I think that can actually be counter-productive.  I had my windows lettered for about two years.  Never could go anywhere without someone knowing who I was and what I did for a living.

I also wondered if the public percieved it as "desperate" for business.

I have no factual statistics but I can tell you that since I have removed the lettering from the windows and gone back to a simple "branded" magnet, business has  gone up.....

Just my $.02

Hi Gary,

We have small decals in our passenger windows of a ReMax balloon but they are the magnetic type.  We have never had anyone stop to ask us questions about real estate though. 

Nobody should practice being a "secret agent" but I suppose how much you want to be noticed is a very personal thing. 

Gary,

Good post.  It is amazing how creative people can be.  I have a problem with the picture that you posted.... the realtor gets lost in the mural.  Some of the other vehicle pictures in the comments seem a bit more realistic.

Ok, here goes. This is obviously NOT my main vehicle but I do drive it around here & there. Otherwise it is sitting at the front of the parking lot at my office. I don't see how this is any different than having a billboard, bench or ad in the newspaper. It is all part of our branding. As far as reselling the vehicles - most are wraps & they simply peel off like stickers leaving the previous paint preserved. Some people have even wrapped their vehicle in the color of their choice to keep the other paint from fading, getting scratched, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh & here's my "other" vehicle, just words on the back - used to have my name/# on magnets but got too many weird calls while driving around for my day to day personal stuff:

I guess you could say that I am NOT a secret agent :)

Not a fan of Realtor advertising on cars. Somehow seems unprofessional at a time when we are trying to become more professional. I believe a much stronger statement is a sensible clean discreet car that makes a positive statement about your success. I, for one, don't want to look at houses in a car that is a rolling advertisement for the Realtor driving it.

Okay for a termite inspector, a painter, an home inspector, etc.

But a Realtor?

I am seriously considering wrapping my old extra car (a little Mercedes 190E) with my outside blog site and logo.  Why not?  The car is paid for, hardly gets used much and would be like a billboard in my neighborhood.  I wouldn't go so far as to put my own photo on it though.  I'm thinking maybe put "client care car" on the side of it too!

My guess is you'll get more calls asking "Where can I get a wrap like that" then you will I need a real estate agent.

 Happy Sailing ... _/) Paul -- http://www.enewslettersolutions.com/

Gary, so glad you posted about this topic. I see more and more of the completely shrink wrapped Realtor cars on the road. Do they catch people's attention? Definitely! But does that kind of attention translate into business? The cars we drive and the clothes we wear create a perception of our business and our personality. If it's only about getting attention, we could walk around in clown costumes and also most certainly get noticed. Those wacky, flashy cars don't do anything for me. I could never see myself getting into one and I'm not sure how clients feel about being chauffeured around town in these kinds of cars. I guess it's all a matter of taste, and taste is in the eye of each individual beholder.

Sandy

If I had a vehicle that I could drive just for real estate and one for family outings, I would consider some form of advertising on my real estate vehicle. Not as much as the the example you used and I don't think I would use my picture. (Don't want to scare anyone and be responsible for them crashing) Plus I would have to drive like I had some sense.

I personally enjoy these, I actually just priced the wraps for the cars 2 days ago!  I am thinking of turning one of my cars, my PT Cruiser into a KW advertisement.  I do have 3 vehicles so I guess that's one reason I'm for it, if it were my only car I would probably reconsider. 

Congrats on Gold!

I like the wraps, although haven't "gone there".  What about those times that clients have you at their home inconspicuously ? I've had a couple of people mention that - not until I've been at the home.

Wow! I don't know what to say. Maybe us midwesterners are too conservative but most agents here in town don't even have car signs!

I think they can get a little to tacky with it. I have seen them done that were kinda neat looking. I just have the name riders on my car. there are only a few in our office that even put on name riders.

Whatever blows your hair back i say. It's YOUR business and your money. Spend it the way you want but spend it wisely.

That was an interesting observation that perhaps there are more of these wrap vehicles in certain parts of the country than others. Maybe more in warmer climates, more in trendy California, etc. I think it does come down to whatever works for who you are. Some may look at them as silly while others would definitely want one for their business. You can't be all things to all people so clients that wouldn't be caught dead in one of them will go to the more traditional REALTOR. But I know we all probably take ourselves too seriously in this area. If you look at the designs, some of them are downright cool!

In our company we have a wrapped vehicle.  Our marketing guru was given a budget with the choice of buying a vehicle and wrapping it, or buying a billboard in part of our farm area.  She decided that she preferred the idea of a billboard that moved around our entire farm, rather than one that stayed put.  I think our wrap is tastefully done, suits our demographic, and reflects well upon us.  I think you have to take into account who your target audience is, and I have yet to see a vehicle in this post that wouldn't work for A targeted audience, although some might not fly well in our neck of the woods.  

 Yes, we get clients and friends calling or stopping us to let us know- Hey! I saw you driving on... And we think that's great!  I love to touch base with a client, and I love it even more when THEY touch base with me!  I think it's the same as sending out mailings to a farm area- it builds brand recognition.  And while they may not call off of the car itself (there have been a few), I can't count the number of people that have told us "We get your postcards, and we see your signs in the yard, and we've seen your car- you guys are everywhere!"  

On top of that- as an admin, I appreciate not always having to put the wear and tear on MY vehicle running all over town.  We have two buyer specialists, one who wouldn't drive the company vehicle on pain of death, and the other who takes every opportunity to use it, whether escorting clients or just previewing, because he is of the opinion that it can only generate more leads for him. ^_~

i have seen the license plates mainly. "sold", "sell", "bought", "lstnagt", "mtgman", "realtor". i think it is cool but the big ads on the cars is not my style. it works for others  or they wouldn't do it i guess.

GREAT LICENSE PLATE!

Wrapping of Realtor vehicles is really popular in our area (Rockwall Texas) and the DFW area.

I would like to know how much it would cost to have it stripped off a vehicle as I know there is probably going to be some great deals on some of these Hummers I see rolling around town if the market doesn't swing around soon.

 

Gary, Good post! And Charles I love your plates.

Good post. Some of the vehicles we see are pretty over the top. Perhaps it works, but it is not our style. All the best.

The look good, but no, it isn't for me.  I want to be able to go around unnoticed every once in awhile.  If my kids are screaming as I walk them out of the toystore, I don't want people to put 2 and 2 together:)  Just kidding, they don't scream as leaving the toy store, they don't get the chance to go very often.  I have only seen a few cars in our area, MO, branded and the furthest it goes are decals in the back window.  Nothing full wrap other than the Geek Squad.

I sense at times we want to go back to being the "secret agent" and turn off that wonderful marketing machine we may have created. I suppose the solution is multiple vehicles in the family.

Gary,

If this particular decor works, why not continue with it. It definitely draws attention to itself cruising down the streets. However, it just seems too far out there to make it long-term. Imagine yourself sitting in it going to look at homes.

Gary -

My High "I" says, oh yah go for it, sure absolutely, show it all over and enjoy and smile and wave, etc...

My High "D" says, don't waste the time on the goofy car, just blast ahead, get the LG done.....

so far the "D" is winning....  

List and Sell (and drive a great vehicle, wrapped or not)    Gary

www.RentonHomeFinder.com

 

With all the money spent in advertising and much of it wasted I did a study and found that branding with a car wrap is a very good investment. I invested in a PT cruiser and have a second car when I wish not to be noticed

     

Ginger, I saw the photo of your vehicle on your site and thought it was beautiful. The folks around College Station will definitely know where you're at all the time. VERY CLASSY!

Gary, one more good thing about wraps.  It forces you to be a better driver and helps you keep your temper in check.  lol

Also when you get ready to sell you can have the wraps removed.

In my town a realtor had an ad for herself on her  car which was very discreet compared to the photos in these comments.  A policeman stopped her and gave her a ticket for having advertising on a private non-commercial vehicle.  Turns out in MA if you have advertising on your vehicle you must have it registered as a commercial vehicle which means much higher costs for insurance, etc. 

I believe that it is effective advertising, people will remember you. I don't have a wrap but I have vinyl on my side and back windows and it gets me noticed. Most often when I meet a new person, they say that they see me all over town. That has to help anytime someone can remember you. I don't believe that ego has anything to do with it. it is branding that is quite affordable.

I was afraid to look at this post.  I personally think that it's a bit over the top to decorate your car with advertising. It sure is fun to look at the pictures though.

I just have my website on the back of my car.  I thought about doing a wrap but just don't know...

Now that I've seen more wrapped cars I'm starting to think those Realtors that do it really have a flair. But I think I would want to also drive around in an ordinary car some part of the time and not draw attention to myself constantly.

Oh, Gary, you crack me up.  I think you're post caught quite a bit of attention.  Do you think the Realtor in your example actually shows clients in that vehicle?

Mary Ann: I'm sure that Realtor is pretty proud of that vehicle and does listing appointments and buyers in that car. I saw a Bright Yellow Taxi Cab color Scion today in our parking lot today. Not only decked out but bright colors!

Gary--I wouldn't be a happy client in that vehicle, but, hey, that's just me.  Now, Ginger's is great and I'd be okay with riding in something done tastefully like hers.  I think it depends on the usage.  The vehicle in your example would be an attention grabber at sport events, etc.  But I still don't think it is a message I would be comfortable using for my business.  Wraps make accounting sense for a REALTOR, but I believe the message should be classy.

Mine is simple, but the Red does draw attention! If I get 1 thing from it then it is worth it. So far I just get comments about why didn't I get a red jeep??

Judi: Another beautiful vehicle amongst many people have shown us with their photos on this post! Wow, can I ride around with you??

i Bough this Scion just for this what do you think Im sure Remax would love it LOL...

 

 

Steve: That vehicle is AWESOME! What a terrific design! Just don't ever change to another broker : )

Steve... Great wrap!!  I love it!

Looking at all of these great pictures and comments certainly brightened my day.  Too outrageous for me.  In my market, most people have money and you would never know it.  Too ostentatious for this area.