5 REALTORS® With Awesome Ads or Brands

The following five examples showcase some of the more creative attempts at selling property that we’ve seen.

By Josh Sherman | 2 minute read

There are more than 70,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Toronto Area, so how do you stand out in a sea of industry professionals? In addition to a strong social media presence, a creative brand or ad campaign can help turn heads — and generate leads.

Of course, when thinking outside the box, there are always risks. More than one real estate agent has had to issue an apology for a campaign that didn’t quite hit the mark — or was just deemed straight-up offensive. However, the following five examples show it’s possible to get lots of attention without offending potential clients!

1. This Lamb Sells Condos

Brad Lamb has questioned the value of advertising before. But the real estate developer and broker arguably made his name with his long-running series of billboard ads. The ads portray his now familiar face comically photoshopped onto the body of a lamb in various settings, including, inexplicably, outer space and underwater, and, somewhat more logically, on the Toronto Islands.  Of course, as with any outside-the-box branding exercise, not everybody is a fan!

2. Real Estate by Bike 

Toronto real estate agent Arty Basinski has set himself apart by riding his bicycle, rather than driving a luxury vehicle, to showings. It’s a lifestyle choice reflected in his business’ name: Real Estate by Bike. The fact that he’s moonlit as a circus drummer also contributes to his unique personal brand. However, he’s perhaps most well known for the popular multimedia content he creates for his listings. For example, a 2019 rap video entitled “Lil Yellow House,” which racked up nearly 70,000 views on Youtube and garnered national news coverage.

3. Sees What Others Miss 

In 2016, B.C. real estate agent Patricia Houlihan was tired of seeing the same old real estate ads that all said the same thing. “Yes, I am one of the top Realtors in the city‎ and recognized as such by the real estate board, but do I need to say the same thing they all say?” she told the CBC. Her solution: a photoshopped bus-stop ad that passersby initially thought was a prank. The ad depicts Houlihan with lasers shooting from her eyes and the tagline SEES WHAT OTHERS MISS. While some thought the campaign was a joke, it looks like Houlihan got the last laugh, since the ad garnered national news coverage and praise from the ad industry.

4. Moving to Canada?

Politics can be a touchy subject for REALTORS® to broach with clients. But in the wake of the immediate aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, Jeff Cook, a South Carolina-based real estate agent, saw an opportunity to mix business and politics. Before the election, some Democrats had been threatening to move to Canada if Donald Trump got elected, so after the votes were counted, he ran with the billboard tagline, “Moving to Canada? We can sell your home.” The ad was meant as a joke, but it looks like it tapped into some very real demand, with Cook telling ABC7 News that his office was inundated with 380 calls within 24 hours: “We found out very quickly there’s a lot of people that are very, very serious about wanting to sell their home, because they’re just scared of what the future is going to hold.” 

5. DIY Effort

You’ve probably heard the expression, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Well, Daniel Robson-Petch recently took that advice and ran with it. Frustrated by real estate agents who had been unable to sell his parents’ property, the Aussie decided to create his own light-hearted video to showcase the listing. Although he’s technically not a real estate agent, we’ve made an exception because that could soon change. In response to his marketing efforts, real estate professionals are taking notice: “Since the release of the video, Daniel has been offered 3 jobs as a real estate agent,” Daniel’s wife, Tia, told Storyful.