BRAND ENHANCERS USED BY TOP REAL ESTATE COMPANIES

Define what is your Personal Brand?

I recently asked myself the same question and couldn’t really identify what it was that makes me ME. And honestly, I had never seriously thought about it. I simply do what I do to the best of my ability. But then I thought, it’s not about what I think about me, it’s what other people think about me. That’s my brand.

When it comes to personal branding, I think the best definition I’ve heard is this: Your personal brand is what people think of you when you’re not around.

Real Estate success, is a game of perceptions. In other words, someone else’s perception of us is very important.

Perhaps that’s why celebrities and politicians invest millions with image consultants and marketing specialists with an aim to create a positive image in the hearts and minds of people.

Is creation of Brand any different in Real Estate?

A great personal Real Estate brand needs constant care and attention. The better you are at connecting with your clients on a regular basis, the more success you will enjoy.

I’ve found this is not very common among Real Estate’s top Developers or Sellers. In fact, only the best ones are obsessed with consistently promoting their personal brand and invest their time & money in it.

Building Trust, Authority and Credibility with potential clients is their top priority because they know the value of building and enhancing their personal brand.

We will discuss some of the steps which can help you in this.

Testimonials

If I’m buying anything, testimonials influence me. Best ones in Real Estate are continuously adding testimonials because they know how effective these are..

A photo or comments of a happy customer says 1000 words. I’m sure many people perceive a written testimonial may not be real but a photo can’t lie. And think about this: 

Testimonials are your number one brand building tool but they are basically free and you can use them forever as they never go out of date.

Social media

If you arrived at gathering where you don’t know anybody, would you start talking about your project to the first person you meet. You are Right! No.

Now we talk of Social Media. Take it as the digital version of a gathering, community where people see recommendations & experiences of others on various products & service providers.

People don’t see your listings. Like on Facebook they see what their friends are doing, look at  photos of a vacation they just enjoyed or to complain or share their bad experience about some product or service. They would rather see a photo of your dog than your listing. So post photographs, videos associated with your brand.

Automate

We’ve already established connecting is essential, but what systems are in place to help you do it?

There are some very good yet very affordable Real Estate software packages available today that can automate much of what you need to do.Good software will send your newsletters, listings, general emails and text messages plus remind you to complete important tasks like phone calls and personal visits.

The other reason to set yourself up with good software is so you can track & measure your activities.

The Fab Four Brand Enhancers

Most of us just use email to keep in touch. But with less than 20% of emails get opened. So we miss out on balance 80% of prospects. Here are the top 4 brand enhancing methods Real Estate’s top developers or Sellers use:

-   A personally addressed mailer gets opened and if it’s well written and engaging, read.

-   Send a hand written card for birthdays or the anniversaries. Today hardy anyone sends cards and those you do, stand out from crowd.

-   Send SMSs or WhatsApp messages. These always get opened and read. These are great for quick updates and important special messages like wishes for New Year or their birthday.

-   Email will work if your messages are interesting. The subject line should be very catchy and appropriate. It is a key for email to get opened.

Real Estate’s top sellers make 20 plus phone calls each day, five days a week. After a personal meeting, this is the best way to really connect with your contact. Make sure you always call with news and information rather than just asking if they want to buy.

These 4 communication methods will not only keep in mind of your client, they will also in all probability be referring you more people since you remember them and give desired importance.

You’ll need a good software system to schedule these contacts so you know what needs to happen every month of the year.

Client care.  

A recent survey in the US found 90% of property sellers, when polled immediately following their sale, planned to use the same agent again when it came time to buy or sell. In reality, only 10% used the same agent and the reason given is because the agent kept in touch and nurtured the relationship.

When you ignore previous clients, you’re sending them a message that they were only of interest or value to you whilst they were buying or selling and now that they’re not, you really don’t have time for them.

Why spend time and money looking for new clients when previous clients are ready and waiting for quality contact from you?

Be yourself

It’s hard work trying to be something or someone you’re not and it’s certainly not sustainable. The real power behind your brand is your personality and personal energy. These are the things that make you YOU and now with Social Media and so many other cool tools, there’s never been a better time to be yourself and let people relate to the real you.

There’s great empathy in sharing your personal story. People buy into it and it helps position you apart from the crowd.