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At some point or another during their time on Facebook, many real estate agents find themselves wanting or needing to change the name of their Facebook real estate page.
The reason for this:
Many real estate agents start out by naming their Facebook real estate page incorrectly.
The key to avoiding a Facebook page name change:
Naming your page the right way from the start!
In this post I am going to tell you everything you need to know about choosing the right name for your Facebook page from the start.
But I am also going to show you the step-by-step process for changing your existing page name as well.
Lets get started…
CHANGING YOUR NAME ISN’T AS EASY AS YOU WOULD THINK
While it may not seem like it now, if you don’t choose the right name for your Facebook page, you may find yourself wanting – or needing – to change it at some point in the future.
But this isn’t always easy to do…
While there doesn’t seem to be an official Facebook name change policy, it is commonly believed that Facebook pages are only allowed to change their name one time.
Pretty limiting right?
But what makes it even more restrictive is that once your page has 200 likes, it is up to Facebook if they will even let you make a name change that one time.
So what can you do to get the name changed?
Maybe nothing.
If Facebook doesn’t want to allow the name change, you will be stuck with your page being named the way that it currently is.
So what does this mean for you?
It means that you need to be cautious about the name you choose for your Facebook page. Give it some thought and consider if there is any reason you would want or need to change it. If so, make sure that you try to get the name changed before you hit 200 likes.
What do I do if I want to change my page name?
While it can be difficult at times to get your page’s name changed, it is certainly worth giving it a shot.
The process of changing the name isn’t difficult at all by itself. To submit a Facebook page name change just do the following:
- Go to the About section of your current business page.
- Click on “Page Info”
- Hover over the “Name” field and click on the “Edit” option that appears.
- Enter the new page name and click “Save Changes”
Or you can follow the step-by-step guide from Facebook by clicking here.
Once you have submitted a request to have your page name changed you will receive an email from Facebook in regards to the status. If you meet their standards for a name change, they will complete the name change for you.
THE FOUR TYPES OF PAGE NAMES
The easiest way to make sure you avoid the issues that can arise with changing your Facebook page name is to make sure and name it correctly from the start. There are four main options when it comes to naming a page:
- Name and Brokerage
- Name and Real Estate
- Name or Team Name
- Generic Name
So which approach is the best one?
Well, that depends…
There really isn’t a single choice that is right for everyone. But there is a choice that will be right for you.
Let’s break down each of the naming options a little more in depth and take a look at the positives and negatives of each.
Option #1: Name and Brokerage
This is probably the most common way that you will see real estate pages named.
Why is that?
It’s easy to follow the crowd and do what other agents are doing.
Since so many real estate agents use this type of name already, other agents who are creating a page for the first time see this trend and think that it is what they are supposed to do.
Also, some people say that naming their page this way may help them avoid any potential compliance issues that could arise from not disclosing the name of the brokerage in their marketing.
Tip: As you hopefully are aware, the real estate commission has compliance rules that dictate where and how you have to disclose information. One of the more common issues real estate agents run into, especially in their online marketing, is in failing to disclose the name of their brokerage. The common thought is that by including the name of your brokerage in the name of your Facebook business page you can avoid this issue. And for the most part, it is true. But it has it’s drawbacks as well. Be sure to check with your local state commission to make sure you are aware of the rules that you need to be following.
Avoiding compliance issues seems like a pretty important deal, so does that make this the best naming option?
No.
The more complicated answer:
While the compliance issue may seem like a great reason to name your page this way, you are overlooking some more important issues that can’t be corrected down the road in favor of the small compliance issue that can be taken care of in a simpler way.
In many states, the compliance rules say that you just have to have your brokerage disclosed within one click of any marketing materials you use online.
So how do you do that on Facebook?
That’s easy. Just include the name of the brokerage company within the about section on your Facebook page. This makes it so that anyone who comes across your page can get to your about section and see the brokerage you work for in one click.
The second way that you can deal with this is to make sure to prominently display the name of the brokerage you work for on your website. When you link to material off your Facebook page and take those leads to your website, they will automatically be shown your brokerage information.
Now that we have taken care of the compliance issue naming myth, let’s look at some of the positives and negatives of using this as the format for your page name:
Positives
- You fully identify yourself and your brokerage in all of your Facebook interactions.
- You may get a credibility boost in the mind of some fans/followers depending on the brokerage you work for.
Negatives
- If you decide to leave that brokerage at any point, and Facebook decides not to let you change your name, you will have to start over with another page from scratch.
- Some people are less likely to interact with a page that they so closely associate with a specific brokerage. If they like you and the content you post, but dislike the brokerage you work for, it could stop them from liking and interacting with your page… and ultimately cost you a potential sale.
Option #2: Name and Real Estate
The second method that is common in the real estate world is to use your name in association with something that tells people you are a real estate agent. This could be similar to any of the following:
- Jeff Prewitt, Realtor
- Jeff Prewitt – Realtor
- Jeff Prewitt, Real Estate Agent
- Jeff Prewitt – Real Estate Agent
- Jeff Prewitt Real Estate
- The Prewitt Team, Real Estate Agent
- The Prewitt Team – Real Estate Agent
- And so on…
You get the point right?
Many real estate agents choose this option because they believe that it will better identify them or help them get more people to their page.
So the question is, does this help?
Not really.
When you create a page you have to select a category, and one of the categories (and hopefully the one you chose) is Real Estate.
By selecting this category, Facebook is able to identify that you are a real estate agent and help show your page to people who are search for a real estate agent near your location.
You don’t need to add the term “real estate” – or any variation of it – to the title of your page.
But does it hurt you to name your page like this?
No. Not at all.
While it may not be needed, it does not hurt you to name your page this way.
Lets look at some of the positives and negatives of choosing this name format:
Positives
- More easily identifies you as a real estate agent.
- Not tied to a specific brokerage, but still niched down to the real estate industry.
Negatives
- Could make people feel as though they are only interacting with you as a realtor, not as a person.
- Makes it a bit harder to incorporate a little bit of personal content – or content unrelated to real estate – onto the page.
Option #3: Name or Team Name
The third option is to go with just your name or the name of your team.
This is the simplest form of name that you can choose for your page. Not only does it not brand you to a brokerage, but it also does not tie you to the real estate industry.
Which may make you ask the question:
Is it a problem to tie myself to the real estate industry? After all I am a real estate agent…
No. Not at all.
But it can limit you.
How so?
Lets take a look at an example:
Right now you may be a real estate agent, and you may love your job. But what about opportunities that come up in the future?
What if you are presented with the opportunity to become a real estate coach? Or you decide that you want to focus more on real estate investment? Or maybe you decide that you were so good at selling homes that you want to branch out and sell yachts now too – after all some yachts are more expensive than homes.
By branding your page to a specific real estate brokerage, or even to the term “real estate” or “real estate agent” you can limit the ability to use your page in the future if you choose to expand your focus to include more than just real estate sales.
By choosing to go with just your name, or your team name in the case of a partnership, you place less limits on the future of what your Facebook page can be.
Lets look at a few of the other positives and negatives with this type of name:
Positives
- Makes fans and followers feel more connected to you as a person (or as people in the case of a team name)
- Builds a brand around your name or your team name
- Not tied to a specific brokerage or to just real estate sales
Negatives
- This doesn’t brand you to the real estate industry (as much as it can be limiting, it can also be a benefit)
- Team names can come and go as the team grows and team members move on. Make sure that the name isn’t tied to specific team members. For Example: “The Bob Smith and Sally Davis Team” could end up being a bad team name if either team member wants to leave the team at some point.
Option #4: Going with a Generic Name
The last type of page name that you can go with for your real estate Facebook page is to go with a general name that is based off of your location or real estate in general.
Some examples of potential page names:
- Colorado Springs Dream Homes
- Pikes Peak Homes
- Luxury Colorado Homes
- And so on…
Note: None of these are actual Facebook pages at the time of this post.
While these are just examples, they all have one thing in common:
They are not tied to a broker, or brokerage.
Remember, that even if you go with a name like one of these for your page you will still have to disclose your name and brokerage in the About section of your Facebook page, as well as on your website, to make sure you comply with disclosure regulations.
This type of name can be great to use if you want the page itself to be seen more as its own brand. A brand that can be tied to you, or to someone else if you so choose.
Lets look at some of the positives and negatives of using this type of name:
Positives
- Can result in higher share rates as people don’t feel like they are endorsing a specific realtor, but just that they are sharing something interesting.
- This page could be handed off or sold down the road when you retire or move on to another opportunity.
- May be easier to grow the page.
Negatives
- It is not branded to you. If at some point you no longer are using this page, it would not have done much to grow your name and present you with future business possibilities.
- Since the fans of the page feel less connected to a specific realtor, they may be less likely to use you to buy a home. (This can be corrected with good lead capture done on your site when you move your fans from Facebook to your website.)
WHICH OPTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
That is a question that only you can answer for yourself.
However, if you are not tied to any of the options, I would recommend either option #3 or #4. Both can be great ways to build a page. After all, they are the more common way to name a page across other industries.
Think about it, when is the last time you came across an author who’s page was titled “Bob Smith – Author” or a lawyer who’s page name was “Bob Smith – Lawyer”?
I bet you can’t think of many times that you have seen that.
Naming a Facebook page in the real estate industry is not any different.
The goal of the page is to create a brand around your name, or around a generic business name. Going this route will best allow you to market your Facebook page, grow your audience, and ultimately sell more homes.
If you want to avoid having to do a Facebook page name change, really think through these four naming options and choose the one that is best for your business.
If it is either option #1 or #2, that’s fine. But just make sure that you have a reason for the name.
And remember, the name you choose can most likely be changed if needed, but to avoid any potential issues it is best to make sure you pick a good name from the start.