Successful real estate agents sell more than houses. They sell trust, expertise, lifestyle and attention to detail.
They establish a personal brand that assures customers that they are acting in their best interests and have of-the-moment information on the best properties. At the same time, they can’t be everything to everyone. Being a meaningful specialist is more effective than a wandering generalist.
Their secret? Authenticity. Authenticity is the key to a personal brand that resonates with your niche and helps build lasting relationships. As you grow your business through referrals and new leads, keep an eye on simultaneously building your reputation online and offline.
Unlocking Purpose and Passion
A personal brand is more than a marketing strategy. It’s your professional identity. Building an authentic brand will help you discover your strengths, define your values and unlock your purpose and passion.
In his book “Start with Why,” Simon Sinek explained why people choose to buy from certain brands over others. He pointed out that everyone can say what they do and some can even tell you how they do it. Very few can answer why they do it.
Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why are you in real estate rather than something else? People are motivated to trust in you and invest their hard-earned money in you when they know what you believe in.
Sinek summed it up as:
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it… But if you don’t know why you do what you do, and people respond to why you do what you do, then how will you ever get people to vote for you, or buy something from you, or, more importantly, be loyal and want to be a part of what it is that you do? The goal is not just to sell to people who need what you have; the goal is to sell to people who believe what you believe.”
Getting to Why
Establishing the “Why” is the goal of your personal brand. To help you get started, here are some critical questions. The answers will shape where you go from here:
- What does your perfect day look like?
- Would a different path help you get to your end goal? Why or why not?
- How did you choose your particular niche?
- What characteristics do you have that have helped you be successful in this area?
- What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? What is the most exciting?
- What do your greatest successes have in common?
- As you talk to your friends, colleagues and satisfied clients, what strengths do they recognize in you?
Identifying your very specific strengths and goals establishes the basics of your personal brand. The next step is developing a one paragraph description of what you excel at and what you believe. This will be at the core of your personal brand.
But a personal brand is more than simply telling people why. It’s delivering that message in all you say and do. Learn the key elements to establishing your personal brand on our latest Clean Slate blog post.
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