Real estate agents are everywhere on the internet, and it can be easy for you to just be part of the pile, never to be dug up and appreciated again. Don't let that happen and read these 6 tips to establish your brand as a real estate agent.
1. Establish a solid social media presence
At this day and age, word-of-mouth and traditional media won't do the trick for self-advertising — widespread brand awareness is best accomplished through an established social media presence. Just like influencers, real estate agents must curate their feeds and team up with the right people to boost their click rate and ultimately, to convert.
A good way to get started is in your handle itself: make sure that it's catchy and easy to remember. You can also attach the name of the company that you're working for in order to establish credibility (and for brand familiarity as well). Aside from these things, you can also do the following:
• •Utilize the right type of social media channel for content-sharing
• •Share the latest trends and the newest properties in the listings you're watching
• •Make use of tailored ads to target your audience for better chances of conversions
• •Remember to show positive reviews and testimonials from your former and current clients
• •Do a live Q&A for community engagement – establish rapport within your target demographic and be ready to answer their inquiries related to real estate
Note that a boost in numbers is not instant. It usually requires some time until you see results. It's also important to avoid using bots to have a lot of followers, because what typically happens is that your account gets shadowbanned, or becomes invisible, which you wouldn't want, especially to those who need to see it.
2. Build a website and SEO-optimize it
To truly be an authority in the local real estate scene, you need to secure a domain. Establish a website and ensure that you make all the necessary fixes so that your website is accessible and secure. After all, people use Google to look for nearby real estate agents, and you'll need Google to crawl your website for it to show up in the first page. Here are some steps you can take for search engine optimization, or SEO:
• •Use websites, programs, and software like Ahrefs, SEMRush, and Surfer SEO to hit the amount of target keywords
• •Make sure that your backlinks are strong — hyperlinks should be also from credible websites with high SEO scores
• •Create tables and attach images in your pages for better SEO ranking
• •Be patient with the results, as organically growing your website can take time
• •You can also choose to boost your rank on Google by paying for your website and let it show up as an ad
3. Pay attention to UI and UX for your website
User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) also play a part in the success of your website. If the listings and updates are easily accessible and attention grabbing, then you'll get better chances at securing clients. To work on the user interface of your website, take note of the following:
• •Make use of one typeface, and pick among sans serif fonts for readability
• •Follow font trends by observing various publicity materials on social media
• •Ensure that there are enough spaces between pictures in your website — not too close together and not too far apart
• •Work with UI and UX experts to fix any concerns like loading issues, security issues, and the like
Once you get your UI down, you can pay more mind to user experience by asking for feedback from your site visitors. You can also ask those who are close to you to use your site and tell them to give you some constructive criticism on it. Further, you can check out any new trends when it comes to web design and get inspired to curate your own.
4. Identify your target clientele
As a real estate agent, you have to narrow down the kinds of clients that you'll handle — find out their profiles and see what cohorts they're in, in terms of age, gender, economic status, and the like. You also have to identify whether they're cold, warm, or hot leads so you can plan how you'll execute your sales tactics.
On top of this, you should also specialize in the types of properties you sell: are you selling condominiums for students? Or is your focus on tiny homes for young professionals? Perhaps foreclosed properties or luxury rest houses? It's essential to establish your niche so you can focus your content on a certain group of people and not let it get too scattered.
5. Study your competitors
In order to secure sales, you have to know who you're up against. You're likely not just competing with a rival brokerage company — you will also compete with those within the firm you're working for, and it can get a little tougher in time, especially if you see them everyday and secretly compare each other's performances.
But remember that competition can actually be healthy! As long as you don't resort to dirty tricks like defamation or poaching former clients, you can one-up your competitors by studying the types of clients they have: if you'd like to target other types of clients, then focus on those. However, if you're confident enough with your skills, then you can go up against other real estate agents in your rival firm or those within the company you work for.
6. Bring something new to the table
This is what will really set you apart – whether you're involved in a seemingly unrelated field that could actually help with sales, or if you've come up with a secret algorithm that you can turn into a small source of income (i.e. spearheading a paid online course for aspiring real estate agents).
Pitching ideas that haven't been thoroughly explored before to your team can be daunting, especially if you're one to stick to the trusty formula. But this is your sign to stop being afraid of swimming in unfamiliar waters, as long as the risks you take are well-calculated and grounded in reality. You'll never know what good comes out of it!