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As an agent you know that the best sales result usually comes after careful positioning and strategy. What you may not have considered is that your own profile is much the same as a property being offered up to the market.
The difference is, of course, that your personal brand is ever present and the one thing that you can control in the market. So how do you go about marketing yourself as well as your current properties?
Demonstrate who you are and your branding takes care of itself
The best way get your name out there is to get your self out there. Go out into your market and demonstrate that you are what your paid advertising says you are. On top of your normal day-to-day property marketing and prospecting, think about how you can increase your visibility in your market. My guess is that you became a real estate agent because you enjoy getting out and about and you genuinely enjoy meeting and talking to people. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of these facts to stay motivated and be encouraged to step outside of our comfort zone.
In practical terms you might do this by participating in a local community event with your teammates or taking part in a charity event in your area. You could also share your knowledge by spending a little time each month writing about the local real estate market or your community in general and then put this side of yourself out there via social media like Facebook or LinkedIn. Personal branding can be as simple as showing your support for other local businesses in the area – who knows, they might become your greatest advocates in turn.
Earn third-party endorsements
Third-party endorsements can give a serious boost to your personal brand. What better advertising is there than getting the seal of approval from a trusted source? Before deciding on an agent, vendors will most often always ask people what they know about a particular agent or they might ask for a recommendation.
Now I mentioned earlier that your brand was something you can control; however, genuine third-party endorsements actually can’t be controlled entirely – they could happen at any time or not at all. The best you can do to encourage third party endorsements is to work hard for your clients and treat everyone around you with respect. Remember, a third-party endorsement may not even relate to how well you sell property – it could be an endorsement from your assistant or the person who sells you coffee in the morning, about how well you treat people or about how motivated you are.
Branding vs bragging
There is a fine line between promoting your strengths and showing off and this is important to remember as we become more comfortable with personal branding. Vendors want an agent who is confident without being egotistical and who is genuinely excited to have their business throughout the entire sales process – not just at the point where they clinch the property.
Take the time to ask yourself what would make people say, “I want that person to sell my property” and then be that person.
Show them the data
Make sure your past results (not just your agency’s) are available online for potential clients to see. This is about making your efforts in the past work towards your future – it’s also about promoting yourself to potential clients anywhere and at a time that suits them.
Hard data is invaluable to agents and vendors because numbers don’t lie. They demonstrate your ability and back up what you say. Domain’s recently announced free Agent Profile pages are perfect for showcasing your sales record – not just the record of your agency. If you haven’t done so already, sign up and let the results speak for you (like they have in this example for Monique Dower of Belle Property Balmain).
Keep the momentum going
Your personal brand will only continue to be noticed and remembered if you are able to maintain the momentum of your marketing efforts. This will be easy if your brand is authentic and you’re organised in a way that keeps your brand visible. If it feels laboured then you probably need to have another think about your approach. Maintain the momentum and your good name will speak for itself when potential vendors start searching for the agent they need to sell their property.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tony Blamey
The Domain Group encompasses brands such as Domain, Commercial Real Estate, Australian Property Monitors/ PriceFinder and MyDesktop and offers real estate media solutions and services to real estate agents across Australia.
Tony joined the business in 2001 and has held a number of senior roles in the commercial business in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Tony has previously held senior sales management roles at Lawlex – an online regulatory publisher and compliance management business.
Tony’s media career commenced at Yellow Pages where he was involved with many of the early internet directory and search engine products.
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