Jas Takhar says the days of traditional real estate marketing are over. He says buying space on billboards and buying commercial time on television and radio are no longer effective messaging tools for real estate agents.
“I don’t think anyone’s paying attention anymore,” he says.
Takhar is co-owner of REC Canada, a full-service real estate sales and consulting team operating under the banner of Royal LePage Signature. He co-founded the team l5 years ago in Toronto. About five years ago, he says he had an epiphany that led him to change his advertising tactics. He decided to engage potential clients through in-person events and webinars, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts and other types of social media.
The REC Canada team
“In total, we have a little over 250,000 downloads of the Jas Takhar podcast. For our YouTube channel and other social platforms, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook we have a little over two million views in total.”
There was another key to Takhar’s success. His new advertising philosophy wasn’t based on cold calls or high-pressure sales tactics. Instead he focused on educating the public on how to sell their own homes and how to buy homes and invest in real estate. This strategy may seem counter productive, but Takhar explains his reasoning: “I know that less than two per cent of the marketplace will do it and if I’m the guy who’s giving the information and bein authentic about it, and not caring if they use me, they generally come back.”
His new branding strategy has gained the trust of his clients and today he has more than 50 agents. In 2021 they sold over $350 million worth of real estate.
“Content is king,” says Takhar. “Getting the brand out there is more important than sales.”
He says, “You can’t be a secret agent anymore. The best way to be noticed in 2022 is to produce content on the platforms that people are on.” He says the many social media channels available “give you the ability to educate.”
Takhar started a media company called FTGU Media to create, write, shoot, edit and posts content for the real estate agents. With FTGU creating content, REC has enabled new ways for agents and clients to interact, he says. Currently FTGU delivers content for 29 agents a month.
With help from REC’s VP Laura Stewart, the company creates more than 23 pieces of content a day with the focus on real estate. Stewart specializes in representing buyers and sellers in Toronto’s most affluent neighbourhoods, including Banbury, Lawrence Park, Moore Park, Rosedale, York Mills and Don Mills. Her marketing background benefits both the agents and clients working with her.
Simon Papailias
Takhar’s partner and co-founder of REC is Simeon Papailias. He is in charge of retail, commercial real estate, business sales, mergers and acquisitions, tenant placement and relocation. Bobby Puim serves as VP of operations, where he oversees finance and accounting, information technology, infrastructure, team building, relationships and business development. REC’s client service manager is Shem Shariff, who acts as a liaison between the REC team and their clients. She ensures that the clients files are managed from start to finish.
