The real estate industry has reached an all-time high today more than it ever has. Technology has allowed real estate to climb to new levels with the help from high use of smartphones, constant use of the internet, and the continually growing social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Because of these major breakthroughs, the real estate industry is one that will continue on an upward climb for quite some.
Some people think that all real estate is, is taking people around to look at houses and with that, how does personal branding play a significant role? Well, first and foremost, real estate isn’t just the process of showing people houses… In real estate, you are dealing with people’s lives, their families, and helping them to find a home to call their own.
As a real estate agent, it’s your responsibility to find individuals or families homes that they feel comfortable and safe in and homes that they can make long-lasting memories in as well… so it’s not just about selling houses.
Good personal branding will help you become THE real estate agent that is known for helping families find their forever homes or that agent that went above and beyond to find a family a home that met all of their needs even when the odds were against them.
To have that type of reputation, you need to brand yourself as that type of agent and in today’s competitive real estate market, personal branding is no longer an option for agents… it’s an absolute necessity.
Through a combination of social media marketing, content production, getting mentions and links from niche relevant sites, you can start to build your brand now.
There’s No Room For Mediocrity…
Because the real estate industry is so competitive, it’s detrimental to your brand to be the best agent you can be. Essentially, you need to be able to stand out from the crowd but today, simply standing out from the crowd just isn’t enough. If you expect to attract new clients and close deals, you’re going to have to go above and beyond the typical real estate agent call of duty.
- In addition to being an outstanding real estate agent, you need to be a credible resource to clients as well.
- Yes, you need to network with people in and out of the industry but you need to go a step further and take the time to make connections and build relationships during network opportunities, whether it’s online or offline interactions.
- For your brand to grow, you have to go where the people are and that’s social media. In the digital age we’re in, your brand can no longer survive on traditional marketing methods. Create a business page on Instagram and Twitter to post pictures and updates on new listings.
In order for your brand to go to new levels in the real estate industry, you have to take the time and the necessary measures to invest in personal branding. One of the first things you’ll need to do is build your website.
Now, being that you’re a realtor, you’re, of course, going to be showing houses and giving the ins and outs of the services you provide. So in doing that, your website needs to be reflective of you and the services you provide. The most efficient way to truly market yourself through your brand is to buy the right domain name.
There’s, of course, a wide selection of domain names to choose from but the key is to make sure your domain name is memorable and to also make sure you pick the most popular domain extension to go along with it! .com extensions are more popular and familiar to potential clients and .org extensions are more geared toward educational and informational sites.
Being a realtor, the better option for you would be a .com site but you just have to check the availability of possible domain names… just make sure you choose a name that’s reflective of your brand. If you do that, you’ll see just how beneficial it will be to you in the real estate industry.
You Will Be a Credible Resource For Current and New Clients
We mentioned earlier how your brand is essentially your reputation and that when people see or hear of your brand, you want their minds to automatically go to you being an expert in your field. Having a personal brand is something that can work for you or it can work against you and when it works against you, it can be very hard to recover from.
Ideally, you want your personal brand to be a positive reflection of the work you do and that it will leave a positive lasting impression for you as a real estate agent. It’s important to know that people only do business with people they trust and feel have their best intentions for them put forth. So as a real estate agent, a goal for your brand should be to build your brand on credibility as well as the principles of trust and respect, after all, that’s what will land your brand to the top.
Having a Personal Brand Allows You to Be in Control of Your Image
In the real estate industry, your personal brand is something that you have full control over and it’s the very thing that will help get you to your goals. Everything about your brand needs to be reflective of you and everything you represent. Control of your brand can come in the form of business cards, branded promotional products, and even how you dress.
For control with your business cards, you want to make sure they’re printed on quality materials with your picture on the card so that people will be able to put a face with the brand. You also have complete control over what you wear. Now with that, although you have control and can wear whatever you want, you also need to consider the image you’re trying to portray to clients, so ideally, you want to dress stylish and in a professional manner.
It may sound superficial to say but your appearance and the way you dress can play a major role in how your personal brand is perceived. According to inc.com, when people first see you and make that first impression, it only takes them one-tenth of a second to do it. In that length of time, a person has already made up their mind on whether or not they want to work with you. So if you want potential clients to take you seriously based on your credibility, you’re also going to have to look the part.
Having a Strong Personal Brand Will Boost Your Confidence
It’s almost like how people say “when you look good, you feel good,” which is a way of saying that your confidence is lifted when you know you look good. The same can be said about real estate. If you know that you’re an excellent real estate agent who takes good care of your clients, then you will have that same type of confidence boost because you know you’re a good real estate agent and you have a track record of credibility to prove it.
When clients have no issue with telling you their wants and needs in a home and then feel comfortable allowing you to go out and find them the right property, that’s saying a lot on your skills and characteristics as a real estate agent and it’s something to be very proud of. When you’re good, you’re good and there’s nothing wrong with having confidence in your capabilities.
Share
Contributors
