According to the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), since 2018, about two million real estate licensees have been active in the United States. This large amount of competition is one of the main reasons why realtors need to brand themselves.
In other words, to fight the commodity trap, you need to establish brand loyalty, which has more to do about how you are perceived by the consumer and less to do about your price (fees).
Here are tips on how realtors can build their brand.
CONTENT IS KING
Having a blog allows you to present your experience as a realtor, show you understand the local market, drive business to your company and more. It also is the sticking point for new visitors, an avenue for attracting more leads and a place to start a conversation.
The blog should be updated regularly, at least once a week, to establish a regular core of readers. Posts can be in the form of articles (300 words max), infographics
To demonstrate your expertise, make your content targeted, helpful and informative. Example topics include how to create a renovation budget, a step-by-step guide to relocating to a new city or how to prepare for a home inspection when selling your house.
INCORPORATE THE POWER OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Earning media coverage is another way to gain exposure. One tactic is to acquire the selected media outlet’s editorial calendar to see what it’s going to cover in the future, then tailor your pitch to that topic.
For example, say a local magazine is featuring lake homes in a July issue. Offer yourself to the reporter or editor as a source to explain the trends you’re seeing in the industry and how local residents can benefit. Don’t make this a sales pitch about your services.
You usually are afforded one sentence to talk about yourself in interviews, typically during an introduction. If you haven’t already, create 1-2 main talking points that are broad but value-based, so it’s clear to the audience how you stand out and that you don’t sound like an advertisement.
USE NETWORKING TO BUILD BRAND
The real estate business wouldn’t survive without people, therefore networking can create the trusted interpersonal connections that can help your business gain direct business or referrals. Similar to media
To start out, plan to attend 2-3 local networking functions a month. Collect business cards and follow up with a connection request on LinkedIn. Do not solicit business. Instead, drop a note every now and then to maintain your relationship.
SIGN UP FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Speaking engagements can help you to get in front of the right audience and position you as an expert. Start locally (e.g. Eventbrite, chamber events, universities), plus look for events that may not directly pertain to the real estate field but are still possible fits to speak (e.g. speaking about the challenges of selling buyers on green home features at a home construction industry conference).
Once you land numerous speaking gigs, add a page on your website dedicated entirely to it. Include on it a list of past speaking engagements, featured videos, pictures from events, a few testimonials and a form that allows people to book future opportunities.