As a Real estate agent, you are in the service industry and, by extension, not selling a commodity. I would argue that selling the experience is part of your goal. Couple that with the fact that buying a home is one of the most significant and personal decisions that most people will make. With such an important decision on the line, people want to work with someone they like and trust. As a realtor, your brand is the first impression you will make on a prospect before you even meet them. Your brand is much more about the experience of working with you than the fonts, colors, and logos in your marketing materials.
Creating your brand is not a one-time event; it is a constant and ongoing process that evolves. Not only does it give prospects a glimpse into what it is like to work with you, but it also influences and informs what type of clients would like to work with you.
When creating your brand, consider whom you would like as a client. What traits does your ideal client possess? If you have some experience in real estate, who has been your favorite clients thus far? You can think of demographics such as young families or empty nesters, or perhaps you find that you like to work with people within a particular profession. Think of those people's traits and then market your services to those people.
Part of your brand may be what types of properties you specialize in selling. You will probably have to become familiar with many types of properties, but you should also consider specializing in one. It can be a specific type of home, and maybe your town has an abundance of Victorian-Era homes or new construction properties. The idea is not to pigeonhole yourself but to cause people to think of you first in certain situations. It must be something that genuinely interests you and is not based strictly on potential commissions. If you get good at a niche and enjoy what you do, you will be amply compensated in this business.
When creating your brand, also think about where these homes are. It can be geographic, such as a particular part of town or a specific suburb, or more general, such as homes on the waterfront or farmettes out in the country. Make sure your marketing material features many pictures of these homes. Your brand will naturally draw people interested in those homes to you.
Once you have figured out the who, what, and where of your brand, the most important thing is creating the how. Consider what kind of experience you want to make for your clients, whether they are buyers or sellers. How will you communicate and educate your clients? Think about creating an after-sale experience as well. Help clients with referrals to contractors, landscapers, or other service professionals, such as financial advisors. The most successful agents create a brand where they are a trusted resource to their clients after the sale and in areas outside of the real estate.
At Dharro, we like to help realtors contribute to building a brand by offering unique marketing materials. Try out our Community Feature Sheet® to add something different to your brand.
