In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. And in real estate, nothing stands out more than you, the individual. People do business with people and it’s up to us to be the person vendors think about when they think about selling. 

Consumer behaviour has changed, and it’s no longer a case the big brands win. 

Think about your own behaviour for a moment. Where do you go for your morning coffee? What about lunch, and what about where you stay on holidays? 

Chances are, you don’t go to a Coffee Club or a Zarrafas, you choose your local cafe. You probably don’t go to Maccas, HJs or KFC (unless it was a big night before!). And I’m guessing your choice of places to stay now branches out from major hotel chains into exploring the Air BnB’s available. 

My point is, we’re all looking for a more bespoke, local, and individual relationship in what we consume, and real estate is no different - vendors are looking to independent specialists to work with. 

Standing out in a sea of sameness. 

Read just about any real estate website. I guarantee you’ll see words like “integrity”, “results”, “trust”, “personal”. “And there’s nothing wrong with these, but these are now the expectation and not key selling points.”

To really stand out, you need to dig deeper. 

How? You need to go beyond your real estate career and think about your “and”. As Ryan Serhart puts it:

“A successful personal brand statement incorporates not only what you do – sell real estate – but what I call your “and”. For example, I, Ryan Serhant, am a real estate broker AND a media expert. This helps me stand out for something unique and original to me. Every agent has an “and”...”.

In doing this, it will force you to explore all the experience you have that’s unique to you. For example, many agents that have joined UrbanX, we’ve helped them uncover their true USPs. For some, it was their experience at the highest level of first class airline service, others have marketing experience with international brands, and from counsellors to hairdressers to sommeliers they all have transferable skills to use to their advantage.

And of course, they aren’t restricted in how they promote themselves because they are their own boss. 

Once you have your USPs, you need to promote them and here are 5 key ways to build a personal brand that have the most impact. 

1. Run marketing campaigns that are true to you

Get creative and get noticed!

Ever feel constrained when it comes to building out advertising campaigns under someone else’s brand? When it comes to amplifying your brand, standing out in the market is now more important than ever. Don’t hold back here and run ads across print and digital consistently - the more your brand is seen the more familiar you become. And the more familiar your become the more you will be remembered. 

2. Building an online presence

Provide value through property insights, commentary, and focus on local events. 

We all know that we are living in a digital age. This one is now non-negotiable for anyone in business. From building a strong following across social media, having a user-friendly and up to date website and touching base with your client base via email. However, being present is just not enough, you need to be creating value-add content across these platforms to really establish yourself as an authority in Real Estate and in your area(s).

3. Fostering good relationships and positive word of mouth

Always bring your best. 

Good relationships and your quality of work is the most important piece of the puzzle - after all word of mouth marketing is still one of the most powerful forms. Especially when working within a target suburb - tight knit communities talk and if your name comes up in good light, referrals will flow your way in abundance. 

4. Having a good presence in the community

Put your money (and actions) where your mouth is. Community relationships and partnerships are a great way to be seen. Sponsoring your local sporting team, attending charity events, networking with local businesses, school functions and attending business conferences is a great way to be seen and connect with potential clients.

5. Put your name front and centre

Make sure the leads generated from your ads lead to you! 

How many ads, billboards and signboards do you see where the national brand overshadows the agent? It’s probably happening to you right now. When a potential vendor sees the sign, they may remember the brand, but it’s very unlikely they’ll remember you. And this potentially robs you of a listing as a call is made into the office and not you personally. 

By building your own brand, every piece of advertising points back to you.

Bonus: Vendor Property Marketing

It’s crazy to hear of agents too afraid/unable to sell in vendor paid advertising and it’s a missed opportunity for you and your vendor. For them, it ensures the best possible promotion and outcome for their sale, and for you it further builds your brand and reputation. If you’re selling 40 properties a year, with a $4,000 VPA fund, that’s $160,000 of brand building for you. 

If you’re a high performing agent, finding and promoting your personal brand is a must. You have the results, track-record and knowledge to build upon and it’s your unique selling points that can help you leverage why you achieve what you do. 

If you still think your results are because you work for a large brand, take a moment to ponder this: 

If the brand is so strong, why doesn’t every agent who works under it perform as well as you do?

You’re the one who’s the standout. Don’t hold yourself back, step up and own your own brand!

Ready to build a brand of your own with all the backend support covered? Find out how here.