Know-How Exchange : Branding

I'd start this process by interviewing 12-15 folks in the target audience -- perhaps several who recently sold/bought/rented, and a few who listed in the last 30 days. Find out why they chose the realtor they did, what they liked/disliked about the process, how they would like to see it improved, etc.

Don't try to convince them of anything. Just ask your high-gain questions, listen carefully and take detailed notes. Pay special attention to the words they use. Then, after you have at least a dozen interviews under your belt, step back and review your notes. Your naming project answer will jump out at you. (Note: Face-to-face interviews work best.)

We've done this for scores of clients over the years, and it really works. We were skeptical at first, but we kept at it and it always yields good results. Of course, we'll never know if there was a better name that would have occurred if we interviewed 3 or 4 more people, but the clients were always satisfied -- even amazed.

Give it a try. Or if you are unsure of yourself as an interviewer hire a market research professional to do it for you. For something this important it wouldn't hurt to at least get some pointers from a professional before you begin.

What was your thinking in catering to the 55+ group? What needs do they have about buying/selling real estate that are not well handled by the "others guys"? Are staff also 55+ years old? How does your demographic refer to themselves: seniors, 55+, golden age investors, retirees, or something else?

your name - Active Adult Community Realtor