How to Successfully Build Your Brand as a Real Estate Agent

Having a successful real estate brand is crucial to everyone in the industry. Why should clients choose you over other brokers and agents in the industry? What do you offer that no one else does? Why are you better than everyone else? 

When you’re branding yourself as a realtor and trying to create an online presence, it’s really important to focus on what differentiates you from the competition – and to make sure prospective clients know that you’re the best. 

If you want to know how to build your brand as a real estate agent, read on for a few ways to do just that!

1. Create a Branding Strategy
   
   

   
   A huge challenge when you’re trying to create your brand is separating yourself from the competition. You need to be unique, and to find a way that will persuade clients to choose you for their real estate needs.

   
   
   Set Goals for Your Business
   

   • What are your personal life goals – and how do they impact your business?

   • Where do you see your real estate business being in the next 5, 10, and 15 years?

   • How do you want to scale your business?

   When you figure out the answers to the questions above, you’ll get a better understanding of how to align your goals to that of your business, and to really make the business work for you.

   Once your goals are set, it’s easy to work on building a brand that can help you get to where you want your business to be in the future. The bottom line, when building your brand, is to create a business strategy that will help you reach the goals you set for your brand as a whole:

2. Find Your Target Clients
   
   
   

   The best real estate branding ideas involve finding a niche. Locating your high value clients can show you how to build your own brand as a real estate agent – and that will set you apart from everyone else. 

   A great way to find your target niche is to make a list of 5-10 of your best clients that you’ve had the most success with – and figure out what they all have in common. Are they families with kids? Are they first-time homebuyers? Here are a few things to look out for:

   What are the demographics of your ideal buyer/seller? 

   • Are they married? 
   • Do they need help with the homebuying process? 
   • Do they have a growing family and want to stay in a family friendly neighborhood?
     
     

   What is the intent of your ideal clients? 

   • What are their goals?
     What problems do they have?
   • What motivates them to buy or sell their home?
     
     

   Once you’ve identified who your ideal clients are and what they need, you can successfully introduce a new real estate brand that is based on zeroing-in on their goals.

3. Figure Out How YOU Can Help Them
   
   Once you’ve narrowed down your main target customers, it’s time to figure out how you are the best person to help meet their goals and needs.
   
   

   Be Specific

   • Do you have expert knowledge about a specific neighborhood?

   • Are you a top negotiator? 

   • Are you amazing at marketing?

   • Do your previous clients have TONS of positive things to say about your previous deals?

   • What are your strengths?

   • Do you leverage smart technology to get listings?

   Every broker and agent has special talents that make them great, and if you want to know how to build a real estate brand of your own, figure out what that is for you - and use that to your advantage. 
   
   

   Create Your Message

   
   Clients should KNOW, without a doubt, that your brand is one that will help them meet their needs. Tie your goals to that of your clients. Create a value statement that is focused on what your clients want: Less is more.
   

   Creating a great brand message is about positioning your value into a single message – in as few words as possible. 

   Take the example of the childhood game Telephone: A simple message will be remembered by the time it reaches the last person at the end of the line, while a complex message can be misunderstood and lost in the process.

   Make it Personal
   
   When building your brand, it’s so important to include your value statement and message in every touch point with a customer or prospect. Your message should speak to your target customers in a way that draws them to your brand - and yours alone.
   
   

   • Understand your clients’ emotions.  Why are they shopping for a home? What motivates them? Why do they need your help?

   • Appeal to their needs. Once you’ve figured out the emotion behind their needs, appeal to them! Do they need someone to make the process of buying or selling their home easy and stress-free? Use that to your advantage, and include it in your message.

    

4. Create a Referral Network
   
   Don’t be shy! Building a network of referrals is crucial to the success of any brand, whether it’s a luxury real estate brand or brokers and agents with a focus on rental units.
   
   

   Ask for positive reviews and referrals
   
   
   All you need to do is ask! At every transaction and at every successful interaction, it can’t hurt to ask for a positive review – or for a referral.
   
   Have a referral program in place, and make sure to acknowledge that their referral is appreciated. This can be in the form of a thank you note, an email, or a small gift card.
   
   

   Don’t neglect social media
   
   Create a system that allows you to build and grow your network of previous clients, current clients, and potential ones.

   
   

   • Emphasize success stories. Focus on positive customer experiences and share them with your followers as a way of demonstrating your expertise in your niche.

   • Engage your audience. Informative yet entertaining posts are always helpful, especially when you tailor the posts to your target audience.
     
     To maximize your efforts, check out more tips on content marketing here.

     
     
     Find a successful automation program
     
     

     Growing a customer base and generating leads is time consuming and challenging at the best of times. Find a proven automation program that allows you to:

5. Bring it All Together

    

   Once you find your target market and know what makes you better than your competition, building your brand and online presence is simple: know what your clients want, and make sure they know what you can bring to the table. 

   To generate more listings, it’s important to make sure your audience knows exactly how you can solve their problems, meet their needs, and exceed their expectations – and having the right tools makes all the difference.

   It might seem like every real estate marketing strategy has already been used by others, but the key is to find one that works for you. Set a focus on real estate brand marketing and watch your business brand grow.