As a real estate agent your brand is everything. Developing your brand should be your primary focus when you are starting out as a real estate agent. The competition is fierce and you are constantly facing the ever-changing landscape that is being developed by experienced, seasoned professionals who are always looking for cutting edge advantages and techniques that make them stand out from the crowd.
There are a number of methods that the most successful realtors in the business employ that you should embark upon right at the start of your career. These tried and true methods will help you establish a foothold in the business and will propel your career onward and upward.
Digital and Social Media Marketing
Many realtors that are beginning in the business already have social media accounts. Take advantage of your personal following and begin to transition them to a business page you will create for yourself as a real estate agent. Do not take for granted the fact that your friends and family know you are a real estate agent. You will be surprised how many people have no idea what you do for a living-you must make it a point to specifically tell them. Do this by launching a campaign on your social media accounts announcing that you are now working as a real estate agent and are actively soliciting buyers and sellers for their business. Take the time to create a professional-looking business page on all of the available social media and digital platforms. Do the research as to which ones are the most effective and invest the time. The more time you invest in developing your own business, the more results you will see. You are now an entrepreneur and “if you don’t make the deposits, you cannot make the withdrawals“.
Interact heavily with your audience-post your business card and any listings you may have frequently. Always develop fresh content so that people continue to follow you and come back for more. Engagement is vital, so set up “frequently asked question “forums and live broadcasts so that people can get to know you virtually. Having a first-time home buyer question and answer session on Facebook or Instagram live is a great way to draw traffic to your professional pages. This is only one of the many methods you can employ as a realtor to generate interest in your brand and to develop a genuine and transparent reputation.
Word of mouth
Everyone you see is a potential client. This is because pretty much everyone you interact with lives in a house of some sort. Present homeowners might be looking to list their home or have friends and family that might be doing the same. Renters might be looking to purchase a home for the first time. Do not take for granted that anyone you meet is outside the scope of your sphere of influence. When you go to the grocery store, introduce yourself to the person behind the counter and tell them what you do. Spread the word to the local community constantly-every single person you meet is a potential client or knows a potential client. You will be surprised how many people do not know a reputable real estate agent and will say to you “I was looking for a realtor – I am happy I met you”. Collect as many business cards as you can and immediately enter the full contact information into your cell phone. Create a separate section of contacts in your cell phone for professional relationships. Organize your business cards and send out text messages regularly to stay in front of them. The “open” rate of text messages is much higher than that of emails. Almost every single text message is opened and you should take advantage of this.
Little wrinkles such as sending birthday cards to your clients, anniversary cards and small reminders go a long way. Very often, homeowners who you represent when they purchased the home will come back to you to list their home at the time of sale simply because you remain in touch with them through the years. Do not discount this – it is a very real circumstance that successful professionals make use of on a regular basis. Stay in touch with your clients because they will refer their family and friends to you and your network will grow rapidly.
Local community activities
Join your local Rotary club and begin looking into local charities that appeal to you. Make your presence felt in person at all of these events. This is great public relations for you and your brand. Giving back to the community is essential, not only as a real estate professional but as an overall theme. Do you want to push to write a professional wholesome image and become ensconced in your local community? Making friends with local business owners and contributing to their local businesses is essential. Visit with as many local business owners as you can and become involved in as many personal appearances at local community events as possible.
Direct Mail
Making use of direct mailing websites such as Wisepelican.com, who specialize in postcards for realtors, will grow your client base at a very fast pace. Using wisepelican.com, you will be able to create custom mailers and launch campaigns anywhere in the country. This platform will manage your email lists and track the campaign delivery for you. The mailers themselves will display your picture and photographs and details of your listings. This will introduce you to a wide range of buyers and sellers across your geographical region. This is a consistent source of marketing that is employed by realtors throughout the country. At just $.70 per post card, which includes postage, and no minimum order, you can create a custom campaign that suits your budget and preferences.
Putting the aforementioned strategies into practice from day one is essential to the success of your real estate brand and business. Commit yourself to at least 2-3 hours per day to build your brand. At the outset, it will require an investment of your time but it is worth it. People are looking for genuine, authentic, approachable individuals who they can trust when it comes time to sell or purchase a home. Do not discount this and be certain that you are fully transparent with everyone you interact with. Hand out your business cards, attend functions in person and follow up with your clients regularly. Be engaging, cheerful, upbeat, smile, have a firm handshake, be on time and arrive in a vehicle that is always clean and neat. These are very important factors to keep in mind. If you make use of this message, you will see that more and more referrals will come your way and your brand will build organically over the years.
Join the discussion on this topic with Piccolo Universe by visiting our contact page.
Leave a Reply