I was recently having lunch with a friend of mine who is a real estate agent and I asked her how her business was going. We live in South Florida where everyone seems to have their real estate license and the real estate market has been in the tank for what seems like forever. In addition, he knew that he worked for a small real estate company. Her response to me was “The Internet is a great equalizer.” She told me that she is leveraging social media to connect with clients through a personal blog, Facebook and Twitter.
What was interesting to me is that she knows that the little agent on the corner is just as capable of selling his house as the big brokerage firm with the big name. She decided to create her own website where she would brand herself as a successful real estate agent in her niche market, which is beachfront property.
I could see that she is absolutely right in this approach. The future belongs to the small agent because in a bad economy they are particularly hungry to make commissions and will be more creative and innovative in order to survive. Sure, the big brokers can outspend them, but social media is free advertising, especially once your website is set up. Big brokers are like most big corporations: it takes a committee to decide anything and forever to get approval to launch a marketing campaign. Meanwhile, these smaller real estate agents are finding ways to connect with their prospects and brand themselves as home-selling experts.
I read a NAR report that said 76% of people who decide to sell their home with the help of a real estate agent will interview only one agent for the job. So how can you be the one agent everyone is looking for? If you have managed to position yourself as the real estate agent of choice, you will be the person they will think of calling. By properly qualifying yourself, you can create the perception that you are their only option, the only agent, who will sell their home.
What consumers want from a real estate agent
Home buying decisions are no different than the process of selling other services that we buy from a professional. By that I mean we want to work with someone who is trustworthy, honest, has a good reputation and can make the sale. Buyers will also hear recommendations from others about their experience with that person or company.
Today’s buyers are much smarter because of the Internet and they demand to work with someone who is on top of their game. They don’t really care about the name of the brokerage because they want someone to work with who is enthusiastic, provides great service, and is a resource for them in addition to finding them a home or selling one. People don’t do business with a brand, they do business with people.
Up to 80% of homebuyers use the Internet to find both agents and homes. How will they find you if your only presence is on your brokerage site? Smart realtors have quickly realized that branding their name and experience will help them be the real estate agent of choice and generate leads.
Steps to create your brand as a real estate agent
Step 1: Determine where your primary focus is, i.e. retirement home sales, waterfront, commercial property, families, and build your brand around that. As with any top seller, destination marketing leads to better results because you quickly stand out as the expert in that particular area.
Step 2 – Create an accompanying tagline that can be used on a website or promotional materials.
Step 3: Put a marketing plan into action to build this credibility that you are the best, regardless of market conditions.
Step 4: The brand is everything you stand for, that is, your promise to your customers.
Step 5: Match your image to your brand. If you are in the luxury market then it should reflect that community.
Taking your brand online
My friend had told me that the most important thing she had done was get a website where she could write articles and provide information for her prospects and send it to her mailing list. She wanted to be up front in her mind that she is an expert and that she would be someone they could highly recommend. By having a website, she gave her friends a place to post any referrals where they could “verify” her before contacting her.
Your blog contains many resources in addition to the MLS property search for a visitor to your site. He has a mortgage calculator, home value estimator, school finder, and other tools all in one place. In addition, it provides information to the community, success stories and generates a real connection with your brand. People can connect with her on Facebook and Twitter or provide her email address for her latest homebuying white paper.
You also added your personal website to your brokerage business card and added it to your email signature. My next article will discuss building your real estate blog in more depth by providing some creative ideas to drive people to your site. Facebook and Twitter are also important tools to use, but her website is her home base where she wants to take her customers so they can see that she is on top of her game.
A perfect solution for you to start this process is with a product called My Branding System. This is a simple step-by-step system that helps you create an attractive site for your personal brand. It comes with enhanced features for real estate agents, but also incorporates many features that other systems may not have.
Contact me to learn more about how we can build your brand as the best real estate agent in your area. Now that social media has become widespread, it is very important for real estate agents to learn how to market themselves online as well as offline. Otherwise, your competition will take that position as an expert in your market.
