What comes to your mind when you hear the name...

[Flasch186]

Better Homes & Garden

[BYU 14]

Pie

[Draft Dodger]

magazine I'll never have any desire to read

[azjoe_02]

cookbooks

[JonInMiddleGA]

Classic magazine brand, one of "The Seven Sisters". Appealing largely to an audience that is now probably around 50 y/o.

Given what you do for a living (and how their name has been licensed), I assume you're hoping for something that doesn't involve the magazine directly but honestly, aside from knowing there was a real estate brand carrying the same name as a bit of trivia, it means absolutely zero to me in terms of real estate. I'd consider anyone under that shingle to be overly focused on brand identity, possibly insecure in their ability to carve their own niche/identity, and possibly as being more about "show" than "go".

[Flasch186]

Theyve been hitting us up to buy a franchise and we have absolutely zero intent to do so but Im being nice to the guy. I just wanted to make sure that my visceral reaction and thought, which is exactly like yours, wasnt an outlier.

[Lathum]

a magazine I usually see in doctors offices

[cuervo72]

Classic magazine brand, one of "The Seven Sisters". Appealing largely to an audience that is now probably around 50 y/o.

50? I was thinking more in the 60-70 range.

[JonInMiddleGA]

50? I was thinking more in the 60-70 range.

Well, I was being kind.

Really, the audience is now about what you said. Having a firm identity (never mind being relevant) for the name usually stops around 50 (the children of those who would react to the brand)

[korme]

real estate

[Groundhog]

I know it's a magazine, but we have a TV show over here as well, and that's the first thing that comes to my mind - basically home and gardening tips aimed at grandma.

[sterlingice]

real estate

Are you Lex Luthor?

SI

[stevew]

Cheap Wal mart furniture

[terpkristin]

A magazine that somewhat seems to encourage women to stay at home and cook and garden...

/tk

[Scholes]

My Mom and Dad.

[sterlingice]

A magazine that somewhat seems to encourage women to stay at home and cook and garden...

/tk

Rather than posting this, shouldn't you be in the kitchen being seen and not heard?

SI

[Butter]

Magazine.

[flere-imsaho]

I've seen a number of their real estate signs around here, so there must be a franchise up here. When I saw the first one my reaction was: "Clever, I'll bet that helps draw in the older crowd." Which, given that it's Maine, isn't a bad play, with plenty of retirees looking to cash out for the final time.

[Bobble]

Homes and gardens that are better.

[Blackadar]

WTF is a franchise to "Better Homes and Gardens"?

[kcchief19]

I'm cookbooks, magazine and real estate in that order. I don't have as visceral reaction to the real estate brand as you and Jon do, but my first-blush reaction is that BHG agents are simply not good enough to work for the bigger companies in the market. It might be a fine brand and there could be markets where they thrive, but I feel like it's Arby's, not McDonald's or Taco Bell.

[DanGarion]

Real Estate... ;)

Most importantly Realogy.

[DanGarion]

Theyve been hitting us up to buy a franchise and we have absolutely zero intent to do so but Im being nice to the guy. I just wanted to make sure that my visceral reaction and thought, which is exactly like yours, wasnt an outlier.

Hold out for BHHS. :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

I have to admit that, prior to doing a little more background reading, I didn't realize how many brands Realogy now owned.

BH&G, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby's.

[DanGarion]

I have to admit that, prior to doing a little more background reading, I didn't realize how many brands Realogy now owned.

BH&G, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby's.

Yeah, they have really grown the last number of years. I work for HSF Affiliates which is the servicer for the franchises owned by Home Services of America and we're three (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Real Living Real Estate, and the soon to be gone Prudential Real Estate... Not to mention various affiliates we own under HSofA that we don't service unless they are under the franchises... http://www.homeservices.com/companies.aspx

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yeah, they have really grown the last number of years. I work for HSF Affiliates which is the servicer for the franchises owned by Home Services of America and we're three (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Real Living Real Estate, and the soon to be gone Prudential Real Estate... Not to mention various affiliates we own under HSofA that we don't service unless they are under the franchises... Our Companies | HomeServices of America, Inc (http://www.homeservices.com/companies.aspx)

Was just talking about BH & Prudential here at home last night (as part of the BHG conversation)

[Easy Mac]

A poor woman's Southern Living.

[Subby]

White trash Cottage Living. Or maybe I am thinking of Coastal Living. :\

[henry296]

I've just started seeing Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in our market. Did they purchase someone?

[DanGarion]

I've just started seeing Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in our market. Did they purchase someone?

No, your local Prudential Real Estate office (I believe it's Preferred Realty) transitioned last month. In fact I was there for the conversion and trained their agents on their backend customer contact tools. :)

[henry296]

Thanks for the background.