Why Do Realtors Put Their Pictures on Their Business Cards?

(And on ads, brochures, signs, too.) I’ve heard many explanations, but none really convincing. “It’s a relationship business.” “It’s recognition.” “It’s vanity in a vain industry.” “It’s expected, since everyone else does it.” (This one makes sense – kind of like a negative feedback loop.) Art sales is a relationship business; stockbrokers want the same level of recognition; cosmetic surgeons are in the vanity business.

Maybe all the above reasons are a little true, maybe none. But from a sales and marketing perspective it doesn’t really make sense. A model or actor might put their photo on their card, but their face is their product; they are their brand. A Realtor’s product is a house, it’s not themselves. And a Realtor’s brand is more related to the company they work for than to themselves.