Building Your Brand
As the real estate season begins to slow a bit from the hot summer to a cool winter, it's time to take some of those side projects off the back burner and bring them to the forefront once more.
For real estate agents, one of those projects should be brand building.
In the days of social media, everyone has a personal brand. The digital footprint you leave behind on a daily basis says a lot about you and your business or company. Real estate agents are quite often a one-man or one-woman show, so building your personal brand is important to stand out and draw business.
According to Monster, "whether you like to think about it or not, right now there are people thinking about your very own brand of whatever you are and do, and they're deciding if they want to make it one of their favorites."
Of course, you want to be the favorite real estate agent in town! So we've compiled a few tips to help you build your brand to new heights:
Know and Be Yourself
If you're going to spend your lifetime working in an industry, you may as well be yourself while you do it. You don't want to live pretending to be someone you're not, and your clients don't want that either.
According to Entrepreneur magazine, "building a personal brand is first and foremost developing an understanding of your true self, and then sharing that with the world."
Buying or selling a home is a major life decision that can have a lot of emotional aspects, so it's important that your clients have a person by their side that they know and trust.
Think about why you got into the real estate market. Did you have struggles of your own when you were a first time buyer? What do you enjoy about the home buying process and why is this industry important to you?
Identifying your passion for the industry will drive the direction of your personal brand, and telling your story will allow you to be an authentic agent that clients can identify with and will want to recommend.
Be Professional
This tip sounds like common sense. Yes - you should always dress and act professionally, but what about the other aspects of your company?
Your website, business cards, photography, and even social media accounts should all have the air of professionalism.
If you can, hire a web designer to make a user-friendly and visually appealing website that draws customers. Or, use one of the many easy-to-use web platforms such as Wordpress or Squarespace to create your own.
Design and purchase business cards from a printing company rather than printing them on your own, and hire a professional photographer for head shots that can be used on your social media platforms and website.
All of this may seem obvious, but having a professional look across the board can really boost your personal brand.
Consistency is Key
Along the lines of professionalism is consistency.
With so many platforms to put your word out, it may seem a little overwhelming. On Instagram you could have one look, while your Facebook page could have another. To make things simple, and to not confused clients, it's important to be consistent across platforms.
From the name of the page to your logo or profile picture, having continuity will strengthen your brand and make it more recognizable.
For example, if Shelley Holmes is a real estate agent, her Facebook page could be simple "Shelley Holmes." To follow suit, her LinkedIn should also be Shelley Holmes, and her Instagram and twitter handle should be @shelleyholmes. The same could be done with "Shelley Holmes Realtor" or "Shelley Sells Homes," just as long as these page names and accounts are all consistent.
This consistency even applies to your email. If your social media accounts are titled "Shelley Holmes," but your email is holmesatlrealestate@email.com, then your clients may have a harder time contacting you, or remembering how to get in touch with you.
Know Your Industry
They say learning is a lifelong skill, and that skill should be applied to your personal brand. "No matter how well you know your industry or area of expertise, it would be wise to remember that things are changing at a faster rate than ever before, and you have to stay up-to-date with the latest changes and trends," says Entrepreneur Magazine. "If you're not growing, then you're stagnating, and that's the last thing you want to do as an entrepreneur."
There are a number of ways to continue learning in the industry - join a local Realtor organization and attend regular meetings to see what other professionals are discussing; network within your area and talk about trends you notice; monitor relevant publications and websites for new studies and reports.
And finally, share your findings.
People want to know that you are both knowledgeable and passionate about your business. By sharing news about the industry, you show that you care enough about what you to do to continue learning and improve yourself.
Stay the Course
With all of these suggestions, you can build your personal brand, but if you don't stay the course on your marketing strategy, it will all be for nothing. "The only way that you're going to be discovered and build that social currency is by doing it, day and day out," said Elite Daily co-founder Gerard Adams in an interview with Entrepreneur.
It's a lot of hard work, but it's important to be persistent with your personal branding. A month of Facebook posts and Instagram photos isn't going to cut it.
Building a brand takes time and it's important to develop a strategy and brand message early on so you don't lose your way. To keep yourself accountable and aid in your planning, consider a social media manager such as Hootsuite that allows you to schedule posts ahead of time.
It takes planning, organization and commitment, but if you stay the course and build your brand, you will see the benefits in both your business and in your own confidence.
For real estate agents, one of those projects should be brand building.
In the days of social media, everyone has a personal brand. The digital footprint you leave behind on a daily basis says a lot about you and your business or company. Real estate agents are quite often a one-man or one-woman show, so building your personal brand is important to stand out and draw business.
According to Monster, "whether you like to think about it or not, right now there are people thinking about your very own brand of whatever you are and do, and they're deciding if they want to make it one of their favorites."
Of course, you want to be the favorite real estate agent in town! So we've compiled a few tips to help you build your brand to new heights:
Know and Be Yourself
If you're going to spend your lifetime working in an industry, you may as well be yourself while you do it. You don't want to live pretending to be someone you're not, and your clients don't want that either.
According to Entrepreneur magazine, "building a personal brand is first and foremost developing an understanding of your true self, and then sharing that with the world."
Buying or selling a home is a major life decision that can have a lot of emotional aspects, so it's important that your clients have a person by their side that they know and trust.
Think about why you got into the real estate market. Did you have struggles of your own when you were a first time buyer? What do you enjoy about the home buying process and why is this industry important to you?
Identifying your passion for the industry will drive the direction of your personal brand, and telling your story will allow you to be an authentic agent that clients can identify with and will want to recommend.
Be Professional
This tip sounds like common sense. Yes - you should always dress and act professionally, but what about the other aspects of your company?
Your website, business cards, photography, and even social media accounts should all have the air of professionalism.
If you can, hire a web designer to make a user-friendly and visually appealing website that draws customers. Or, use one of the many easy-to-use web platforms such as Wordpress or Squarespace to create your own.
Design and purchase business cards from a printing company rather than printing them on your own, and hire a professional photographer for head shots that can be used on your social media platforms and website.
All of this may seem obvious, but having a professional look across the board can really boost your personal brand.
Consistency is Key
Along the lines of professionalism is consistency.
With so many platforms to put your word out, it may seem a little overwhelming. On Instagram you could have one look, while your Facebook page could have another. To make things simple, and to not confused clients, it's important to be consistent across platforms.
From the name of the page to your logo or profile picture, having continuity will strengthen your brand and make it more recognizable.
For example, if Shelley Holmes is a real estate agent, her Facebook page could be simple "Shelley Holmes." To follow suit, her LinkedIn should also be Shelley Holmes, and her Instagram and twitter handle should be @shelleyholmes. The same could be done with "Shelley Holmes Realtor" or "Shelley Sells Homes," just as long as these page names and accounts are all consistent.
This consistency even applies to your email. If your social media accounts are titled "Shelley Holmes," but your email is holmesatlrealestate@email.com, then your clients may have a harder time contacting you, or remembering how to get in touch with you.
Know Your Industry
They say learning is a lifelong skill, and that skill should be applied to your personal brand. "No matter how well you know your industry or area of expertise, it would be wise to remember that things are changing at a faster rate than ever before, and you have to stay up-to-date with the latest changes and trends," says Entrepreneur Magazine. "If you're not growing, then you're stagnating, and that's the last thing you want to do as an entrepreneur."
There are a number of ways to continue learning in the industry - join a local Realtor organization and attend regular meetings to see what other professionals are discussing; network within your area and talk about trends you notice; monitor relevant publications and websites for new studies and reports.
And finally, share your findings.
People want to know that you are both knowledgeable and passionate about your business. By sharing news about the industry, you show that you care enough about what you to do to continue learning and improve yourself.
Stay the Course
With all of these suggestions, you can build your personal brand, but if you don't stay the course on your marketing strategy, it will all be for nothing. "The only way that you're going to be discovered and build that social currency is by doing it, day and day out," said Elite Daily co-founder Gerard Adams in an interview with Entrepreneur.
It's a lot of hard work, but it's important to be persistent with your personal branding. A month of Facebook posts and Instagram photos isn't going to cut it.
Building a brand takes time and it's important to develop a strategy and brand message early on so you don't lose your way. To keep yourself accountable and aid in your planning, consider a social media manager such as Hootsuite that allows you to schedule posts ahead of time.
It takes planning, organization and commitment, but if you stay the course and build your brand, you will see the benefits in both your business and in your own confidence.
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