The Agent’s Guide to Building a Strong Personal Brand

With the real estate industry being more crowded than ever, competing with so many agents can feel daunting.

The key to rising above the rest? Having a strong and consistent personal brand. It’s what builds your credibility, draws clients to you, and ultimately, gets them to refer you to others. If you’re not sure where to start, read on to learn how you can define and strengthen your brand.

What is personal branding about?

Personal branding is about creating and defining a unique, recognizable, and trusted professional identity. This not only establishes your reputation but also informs the way other people perceive you. For agents, key elements to consider include:

• Your value proposition
• Your visual identity
• Your brand voice and messaging
• The client experience you deliver

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva

1. Know your target audience

First and foremost, consider who you want to attract, as your brand needs to resonate with the people you want to work with. Here are some questions to think about:

1. Are they in a certain life stage (e.g.: first-time home buyers, professionals, retirees)?
2. What kinds of properties are they most interested in?
3. What kinds of challenges do they face when buying, selling, or investing, and what goals are they working towards?

If you’re undecided, review the clients you’ve worked with in the past, and identify which ones you had the most success in or situations that best aligned with your skillset. This can evolve, but it is critical to niche down rather than trying to appeal to every client.

Have a unique value proposition within your niche

Next, you’ll need to consider what you want your brand to be synonymous with. Consider your skills, track record, and personal approach as it relates to solving your ideal customer’s pain points.

Then, merge your strengths and target audience into one clear statement. For instance:

1. For relocation clients: “As a neighborhood expert, I’ll ensure that you find a house that is not only functional but also the best lifestyle and community fit”
2. For first-time home buyers: “Having exclusively worked with first-time home buyers for 20+ years, I am well versed in the diverse challenges involved and am passionate about simplifying the process.

This can serve as a guide for all future communications and content, ensuring that everything you put out aligns with your big-picture goal.

Photo by Alena Darmel

2. Establish a memorable visual identity

Now it’s time to consider more creative elements, like how you want your brand to look and feel. Consider:

Brand Colour Palette:

Did you know that up to 90% of an initial impression comes from colour alone? The colour scheme you use from social media and lead magnets to your website is critical to how people perceive you.

Different audiences are drawn to specific colours, so be sure to consider colour psychology and the emotions you want to evoke. For instance, luxury buyers may be more drawn to purple and gold, which have traditionally been associated with exclusivity, whereas first-time buyers might prefer light blues and greens that generally feel more welcoming.

Logo:

A memorable logo that captures the essence of your brand will ensure that you are instantly recognizable. The best logos are ones that are clean, simple, and distinct.

Website Design:

Your website is often where leads first learn about you. Things like a captivating home page, seamless UX, and professional images are crucial to shaping a positive first impression.

Your website directly impacts your reputation and is important for technical things like your SEO ranking, ensuring you are highly visible to people searching for solutions in your niche.

Need help with designing a website that reflects your brand? Property Raptor’s team specializes in real estate websites: mixing your unique brand guidelines with our design expertise to best convey your unique market positioning. We also help you capture website data, giving you insights into which elements best resonate with your audience. Learn more here.

3. A consistent social media presence

While your website gives leads a quick overview of your brand, social media offers a closer look at what you are about and enables you to communicate with people at scale.

So how can you best use social media to reinforce your brand? It’s all in the details.

First, you’ll need a brand voice: the tone you use to communicate. Is it authoritative? Professional? Light-hearted? Always tie it back to your core proposition and target audience. Brainstorm key phrases you can use and repeat – perhaps a core belief, opinion, or saying want to be remembered for.

Then, consider the content you want to create. This follows from your thinking earlier on your target audience, as it should directly address their interests and concerns. Your brand thrives when you are viewed as an authority in your niche, so steer away from generic content and post high-quality insights in different formats – whether that’s from your research, attending professional events, or things you’ve learned as an agent – anything people wouldn’t be able to find easily.

Photo by dlxmedia.hu on Unsplash

Lastly, show up daily and be consistent. Develop a content calendar and spread posts throughout the week. You should also commit to engaging with others, such as replying to DMs, interacting with other realtors, and commenting on local pages.

Tip: Add personal touches

While professional real estate content should be prioritized, it is also important to remember that not everyone is looking to buy or sell. Add content that feels more authentic, like:

• “Day in the Life” – Show behind-the-scenes glimpses of your typical day
• Personal achievements – e.g. That side project you’re working on, agent career milestones, etc.
• Casual posts – e.g. Your favorite local spots, hobbies, passions, etc.

4. Deliver an exceptional client experience

Once you have your visuals, messaging, and unique proposition down, it is time to optimize your client experience – as your brand isn’t just about what you say, but also what others say after working with you. The client experience is where your brand promise comes to life. Some top ways to ensure a top-tier experience and get positive reviews include:

• Systemize communications: Craft highly personalized and timely messages. A comprehensive CRM like Raptor can do the heavy lifting for you, tracking important details, and past conversations, and leveraging lead profiling functionalities.
• Offer a seamless experience: Give clients choices through flexible options like digital tours, video calls, etc.
• Take a data-driven approach to recommendations: Offer highly customized property suggestions, with a tool like Property Raptor CRM’s AI matching feature, which sifts through data on your behalf to find ideal listings for their unique needs.
• Think long-term: Maintain relationships and continue to be a resource after closing deals.

Building a personal brand takes lots of time and dedication – but the clarity you get from going through this process makes it all worth it. By knowing exactly what you bring to the table, and consistently reinforcing this across all touchpoints, you can build a distinct reputation as the go-to agent in your niche no matter the competition.