When starting out in real estate, it’s easy (and normal) to take your branding inspiration from the brokerage you are working with. But it’s important that, once you start becoming comfortable and confident in your career, you begin building your own brand, because this is what will set you apart from other agents.
First things first—what is a brand? While the word “brand” is typically associated with marketing visuals such as fonts, colors, and logo, good branding goes far beyond this. So what is a brand apart from a customized logo and an eye-catching color scheme? Your brand is the entire identity of your business—it’s the story your business tells. It’s how clients and prospective clients feel when they think of you. It reflects your personality and what your business promises to offer. And ultimately, your brand should help you stand out from the crowd and differentiate you from your competitors.
Now that we’ve defined what a brand is and what it should accomplish, here are a few key things to remember when putting together your own unique brand:
The client is the center of the brand — This is where picking a niche comes into play. Knowing your niche not only helps you find your ideal customer, it helps your ideal customers find you. It’s impossible to become an expert in everything in your field. But by having a niche, you can hone your skills so that you become the go-to expert in that area. So, how do you define your niche? Begin by asking yourself if you already specialize in a certain area, such as working primarily with first-time homebuyers. Other specialty real estate areas could include working with luxury buyers, families, singles living in the city, etc. If you’re still unsure what your niche is, or what you want it to be, look back and make a comparison chart of your past clients (particularly the ones you truly enjoyed working with and were able to help). What do these past clients have in common? Answering this question will help you gain insight into your niche and how you can help future clients using the insight you already have to cater to their wants/needs/thoughts as they search for a new home. Once you’ve defined your niche, make sure to highlight it in all of your interactions and communications with current and potential clients.
Start with a strategy— Having a strategy put in place when building your brand is key to helping you achieve long-term business goals. Unlike the creative elements of a brand (logo, website, etc.), a branding strategy revolves around the intangible elements of your brand. This includes things such as brand objectives—what problems will your brand solve and how will it benefit your customers? This is why it’s important to start with step one and define your niche beforehand. If you know your niche, you know what problems you will be solving (like helping singles find the perfect apartment with sweeping city views) and how you can help them (because you are now the expert in that area). A good strategy also involves identifying your competitors occupying the same niche and figuring out how you’re going to set yourself apart. In other words, why would someone want to work with you as opposed to the numerous other agents giving their own personal pitches?
Be consistent — Consistency is crucial in branding because it’s what creates a strong brand identity that is easily recognizable and memorable. In a nutshell, brand consistency is ensuring that the way you present your business remains the same across all of your marketing channels. This includes how you visually brand yourself, such as consistent use of logos, color palettes, fonts, photos, etc. It also includes tone of voice. Witty, humorous, and professional—these are just a few of the many different tones you can take when crafting a message. In other words, every aspect of how you communicate your brand on social media, from the tone of voice to logos, to colors, should reinforce your brand identity and convey a sense of, you guessed it, consistency! Because consistency equals trust, and trust equals more clients sliding into your DM’s!
Be authentic — Your brand is not only a reflection of your business, it is a reflection of you! That’s why it’s important to always be genuine and real in every aspect of branding. This includes being genuine and real in showcasing your personality, and also in being upfront and honest about what you have to offer. Humans are intuitive, and clients will easily be able to tell whether you’re being authentic while interacting with them either through social media or in person. So, while you should always strive for professionalism in branding, don’t forget to demonstrate your human side. Authenticity can especially be seen in the tone of voice (a key part of consistency as mentioned above). That’s why it’s important to use a tone that feels comfortable and reflective of who you are when writing captions, blogs, etc. to ensure that you come across as genuine. Videos are also a great way to show authenticity because they put a face and personality behind the brand. Again, just like consistency, being authentic is all about building that oh-so-important factor of trust.
Use content effectively — We’ve talked about how a good brand tells a story and helps you stand out from the competition. We suggest keeping these two things in mind every time you go on Instagram or Facebook to post a photo, write a caption, or record a video. While quantity does matter when it comes to social media (you always want to be showing up consistently), the quality of the content is the most important factor. For example, if you’re creating a post about a new listing, be sure your photos are of the highest quality (this shows professionalism). When writing the post, tell the story of the property—when was it built, what is the overall style, and what makes it unique (This shows you’ve done your homework and are the expert) And before you click post, double check you’ve used your branding. Did you add your logo to the photo, or add your contact information in the caption? Did the caption convey your brand’s tone of voice? We suggest that every time you post, you quickly run through this list to ensure that what you're posting is not only on brand but that it’s effectively helping you build your brand.
Real estate is a crowded field, and with so many agents vying for the same clients, crafting a good brand is crucial. Be sure to follow these tips, and you’ll build a brand that will not only help you stand out from the crowd but one that will help you attract your ideal clients.
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