Why Tim Langhauser Swears by R&D—Rip Off and Duplicate

Some Realtors feel like they need to come up with something totally original to stand out. But not Tim Langhauser.

His team’s approach? Simple.

“We’re in the research and development. We are rip off and duplicate.”

Tim doesn’t mean copying blindly. He means studying what works—and then making it unforgettable.

In this episode of Outside the Box, Tim explains how his team’s best ideas didn’t start from scratch. They started with someone else’s success—and then took it to the next level.

Turning Someone Else’s Good Idea Into a Showstopper

Tim's marketing team meets every month to map out what’s coming in the next 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Client events. Fundraisers. Giveaways. Pop-by ideas. Nothing is off the table.

But most of their biggest hits started with borrowed inspiration.

“Once the idea comes, then it's like all right, how do we take this little idea and just magnify the hell out of it?”

Like their NYC Amtrak trip.

It started as a basic bus ride idea they saw from a lender. But Tim’s team? They called Amtrak, rented an entire train car, and turned it into a full-blown memory-maker complete with games, scavenger hunts, and team shirts.

“The bus doing 60 miles an hour up there is much different than the train doing 160.”

Real Estate Marketing That Actually Works

Tim’s strategy isn’t about flash. It’s about fun, family, and follow-up.

He and his wife built their business with client-first marketing like:

A Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Soiree (adult prom!)
Cookies with Santa for families
Boxed birthday brownies for clients’ kids
An indoor golf simulator fundraiser
A 3,000-egg Easter hunt (plus a blindfolded adult version)

Some of these were their own ideas. Others were lifted, flipped, and perfected.

“It’s just a great fun event... We walk around, talk to people, crack on them for bad shots. It’s three to four hours sitting in the warmth in winter.”

And the best part?

“We get to watch our big mouths grow up with us, and us grow up with them.”

The Takeaway for Realtors

You don’t need to be original—you need to be intentional.

Find an idea that resonates. Then blow it up into something your clients will never forget.

“We're not meant to go through this life alone.”

In real estate, the best marketing isn’t always the most original. It’s the most relatable, consistent, and fun.

Ready to Build a Business That Lasts?

Client events like these aren’t just about entertainment—they’re smart, scalable ways to build long-term trust.

And when the time comes to follow up after one of these unforgettable moments?

A thoughtful, well-branded closing gift can take it even further.

That’s why top-producing Realtors rely on custom moving boxes and branded packaging to keep their name front and center—long after the confetti clears.