Although people talk about the real estate industry as though it were a unified thing, the reality is that real estate agents are individuals that approach their work in unique ways. When real estate agents engage in branding, it’s a highly personal exercise.
Your brand isn’t just about selling houses. It’s about how you connect with your clients and the personal expertise you bring to your work with them.
How do you build a personal brand that helps you stand out from the competition?
The Most Important Question for Real Estate Agents to Answer
There’s good news: according to business leader Simon Sinek, successfully branding yourself isn’t necessarily about your marketing prowess. Sinek suggests focusing on one core question that should guide everything you do:
Why?
Why do you do what you do? Why do you love working in real estate?
It might seem obvious, but it’s worth taking the time to dive into this question. Are you all about the thrill of the sale, the adrenaline rush of coming out on top in price negotiations? Do you have a passion for history and preserving old homes? Or is your main motivation your love for working with families, setting them up in homes where they can live their best lives?
No two real estate pros will have the same answer. And it’s your answer that leads to your personal brand.
Digging Deeper Into Your Core Values
Feeling a little stuck on the very broad question of “why?” Try starting with a specific assessment of your professional interests and strengths. Write down answers to these questions, and make sure to be honest with yourself:
- What sparked your interest in real estate?
- What is your favorite part of your job? (This could be anything from staging a property to getting to know your clients)
- What would your clients say is the best part about working with you?
- How do your friends and family members describe your strengths?
- If you could make one change to your real estate business, what would it be and why?
- How do you like to spend your free time? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
- Pretend you’re about to retire. What single sentence would you write to sum up your career?
Do your responses reveal a pattern? They should help you tackle the question of why you are committed to real estate. That, in turn, should help you put your best foot forward as you build your personal brand.
Branding Equals Authenticity
At the end of the day, branding is all about building trust. Your brand should reflect your personal passions when it comes to real estate. If you’re a people person who loves to help lower-income families find great deals, it doesn’t make sense to market yourself as a luxury agent or vacation rental guru.
Be honest about what you love best, and build your brand around your real self. Ultimately, this will help you attract the clients that you really want to work with, and they’ll love you for delivering exactly what they wanted.
Everything you do should reflect your values. Be sure you’re living up to your personal goals and putting your passions on display as you work. For your website and print marketing materials, consider developing a mission statement that encapsulates why you’re dedicated to a career in real estate.
The Bottom Line
Industry leaders can make bulleted lists of important selling points, but it’s your personal commitment to doing excellent work that will really resonate with your clients. When you choose to focus on the aspect of real estate you love best and make that your brand’s focal point, you’ll stand out from the pack.
Getting started is easy. All you need to do is show them why you became a real estate agent.
