As a real estate agent, people seek you out for your local expertise. They don't want just any agent. They get excited for someone who understands their unique needs and can answer their burning questions.

Most customers, especially first-time buyers, may have difficulty telling one agent from another. You can guide them on the right path through consistent, compelling marketing with a brand that stands out.

Your brand communicates your value in terms of four key elements:

• What you do
• Who you do it for
• How you do it
• Why you do it

When you have clarity on your brand, potential customers can tell exactly where you're coming from in a matter of minutes. No one starts out with their brand all figured out, but it's crucial to refine it as soon as possible. Once you are done learning the ropes in your first year, your branding should be a priority.

There's Never Been a Better Time to Revitalize Your Real Estate Brand

Having a brand means you're no longer trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, you zero in on the audience you consider to be your ideal customers. Rather than making it harder to fill your schedule, it becomes easier. You'll work with more clients who move your business forward and get more referrals.

No matter where you are in your real estate journey, it's not too late to boost your brand.

Defining Your Real Estate Brand From the Inside Out

To brand yourself, start with who you are and build out. Once you've defined your brand, you know exactly who you are addressing – the "what" and "how" derive from those facts. Since it gets easier to reality-check your marketing, you'll never waste time on things that don't fit your brand.

Here's how to take control of your message:

• Decide Who You Want to Work With
  Like every piece of marketing collateral, every brand is for someone. Your brand will look very different if you are focused on first-time Millennial homebuyers compared to Boomers downsizing for retirement. Experience is your best guide in determining who you can serve best (and feel energized doing it.)
  
  
• Build Resources with Them in Mind
  At this stage, many real estate agents write a buyer persona, a fictional character who represents their ideal client. They list all of their knowledge and assumptions about this kind of person based on actual feedback. Then, they create the right resources, like home financing information, to meet their needs.
  
  
• Crystallize Your Promised Experience
  Even brands with wide appeal, like Coca-Cola, frame that appeal in terms of a single kind of experience. Think about 2-3 concrete things every customer can expect from you. Maybe you're a great listener or a terrific negotiator. The values suggested by the things you listed can become your brand's values.
  
  
• Visualize Your Brand
  Visualizing a brand means connecting the things you just decided on into a complete, tangible picture. It includes everything the average person thinks of as branding: Picking colors, fonts, and a logo. All these elements must be consistent, and they must speak to the core customer from your buyer persona.
  
  
• Your Real Estate Website Anchors Your Brand
  Your brand is inseparable from the content you publish. When your messaging is consistent with your brand promises, it'll ensure the right people can tell the difference between you and "all those other agents." Your real estate website is the centerpiece that brings it all together:
  
  
• Import Your Brand Visualization Into Your Website
  Once you have a brand vision, you're more than halfway to bringing it to life. Professional website design ensures your branded fonts and colors are presented with a splash of style all your own. Be certain the property photography and stock images you choose reflect your ideal clientele.
  
  
• Keep Your "Backstage" Tidy
  Much of what makes a website effective goes on behind the scenes and isn't visible to your visitors. Still, it's no less important. Reach out to the right experts to make sure your website is secure (using a recent SSL security certificate) and that pages load quickly, especially for smartphone users.
  
  
• Craft Content that Reflects Your Brand
  Helpful, informative content is how you preview the value you have to offer to those who haven't even met you yet. Target burning questions you identified ("How do I get financing as a first-time buyer?" for example) and explain in your own words using blogs, video, or a combination of both.
  
  
• Promote Yourself on Social Media
  Real estate agents have the greatest opportunity to transform social media followings into revenue. Be proactive about promoting yourself and your brand. Share positive reviews and video testimonials that demonstrate your brand is a tangible asset in your customers' corner.

Contact us to discover how marketing automation can lend greater consistency to your brand.