The Unlisted Realtor

I'm going on my fourth year of being a Realtor and have managed to pretty much do absolutely NO marketing. Unlike your typical Realtor, I don't have my picture on my card, I don't send out mailings, I don't have a bus bench or a billboard, and I don't have my own website. While, I've been doing just fine so far, I've recently taken a couple of steps to kick up my marketing plan a notch.

Step#1: I ordered name riders to hang up on my listings with my name and number on them instead of the generic ones. I have been keeping the extras on the floor in the backseat of my car so they are accessible when I need to put one up. Here is how the first step of my marketing plan has already gone awry:

Last weekend I met some friends out in uptown. At the end of the night, after nursing one beer, I found myself among some drunken friends and friends of friends who needed rides homes. So, I ended up with my friend's friend and my friend's new boyfriend's friend (follow me?) who needed rides home (and wanted to get dropped off at the same place). I didn't ask questions, I just wanted to get them somewhere safe and she happened to live only a couple blocks from me. Girl gets in the front seat of my car and Guy gets in the backseat. I'm not going to mention any names, but I will tell you that Guy is a new Vikings player. So, I've got a hoochy girl in my passenger seat and a big, black drunk man in my back seat.

"What's this sign fo'? You a Realtor?" Guy asks holding up my name rider with my name and cell phone plastered all over it.

"How'd you guess?" I say.

"Well, I figured it was either that...or you used this to pick up guys."

"Yeah!" I laugh out loud. "I stick it in my window when I am driving around!" I say sarcastically.
He laughs.

I safely drop them off at Girl's place in uptown. "Bye, kids! Have fun!"

On my way home, now 2am and driving through uptown alone, I am at a stoplight and hear a honk from the car next to me. I look over to see some guy waving. I roll my eyes...guys are relentless at 2am! Seriously, what does he think I am going to do right now? What girl would wave and smile at some freak trying to pick her up at a stoplight at 2am? Hmmmmm....well, maybe a girl who had her name and phone number propped up in the backseat of her car--that's just an invitation for a honk and a wave! Yeah, it wasn't until I got home and out of my car that I noticed that Guy, who I so nicely had given a ride home, thought it would be funny to put my name rider UP IN THE WINDOW OF MY BACKSEAT! Fortunately, I didn't get any freaky calls that night.

Step #2: I got my "Realtor picture" taken.

I have always been very anti-realtor picture. They've always seemed so cheesy to me and I never understood the importance. But I was finally convinced it's good to put a face with a name in this business. I'm not ready yet for the picture on the business card or the bus bench, so this is my first attempt at using my picture, since I don't know what else I am going to use if for right now. So, here it is...Ashley, Realtor.


And trust me, I had a hard time deciding on a picture. I immediately ruled out the ones with my head tilted about 45 degrees to the side.

There is something about coupling my picture along with my cell phone number and plastering it around town that is making me think twice. Hey, marketing gurus out there, I'm looking for some advice on how I can use my new tools to solicit business. Not dates, but business. How can I tastefully and professionally send out my name, picture, and phone number around uptown and say "call me...if you want to buy a house"?

Tag line ideas? Catch phrases? Memorable marketing products? Roll 'em in...