Building your Personal Brand as a Real Estate Agent

Competition amongst realtors is stronger than ever. The Internet has made it easy for agents to market themselves and for buyers to do their own work, researching listings and using online selling tools.

How, as a realtor, do you cut through the noise and attract potential clients?

You build a unique personal brand.

A brand is the overall impression that clients — past, present and prospective — have of your business. It’s what your business comes to represent in the eyes of those who interact with or observe it. Apple, for example, is a brand that people associate with innovation, creativity, and aspirations. Coca-Cola has created perceptions of happiness, fun and universality. Both companies built those strong brands through good branding — they undertook activities that positioned them as innovative and creative, and as fun and universal. See how it comes full circle?

Like Apple and Coke, you want to build a personal brand that garners a positive response. You want prospective clients to trust you and believe in your work over that of another realtor. You can’t tell people what to think of your business, but you can affect their opinions.

So, how do you do it?

First, you have to define what your brand is. You can do that by assessing what your values are, what markets you’re focusing on (such as first-time homebuyers versus empty nesters), and what your unique skill or expertise is. For example, perhaps you value innovative design, have a knack for making small spaces functional and you’re focusing on condo-buyers in cities. There’s your personal brand — you’re the realtor for buyers interested in functional, stylish, urban condo living.

Now, you have to convey that brand. If you’re the condo expert, you need to convey that message through each and every one of your marketing channels — your website, your Facebook page, your Twitter account, your Instagram, your printed materials.

Your personal biography should hint at why you’re the expert; if you’ve lived in 10 condos yourself and have sold more than 50, mention that. If you’re writing blog posts, focus on your market and what they’d want to know; as the condo expert, share advice on making small spaces functional, or create roundups of the latest trends in condo design. Over social media, be strategic about what you post; make sure you’re speaking to and for your specific audience.

The content you produce is important to your personal realtor brand, but so is that appearance of that content. Use fonts, colours and imagery that speak to your brand. Think about the personality of your target market; a young, sophisticated city-dweller probably won’t relate to a palette of rainbow colours, Comic Sans and grainy cellphone photos. (But who would, really?).

For your brand to be strong, your branding needs to be consistent. Make sure your biography, headshot, logo, colours, fonts and content are the same on every platform and channel you use. Your website, brochures, business cards and social media accounts should carry the same look and feel. Consistency creates familiarity and trust.

Now, go forth and get branded.

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