A lot has been written about the differences and similarities between personal branding and self-promotion. Promotion is a set of activities to increase awareness, generate interest, and drive product or service sales. On the other hand, branding is defined as a set of ideas, core values, and the expression of a personality to invite connections and build trust. My favorite definition of branding is that “it is the promise of an experience, and it depends on consistently delivering the experience promised.”*
In real estate, branding and personal promotion are inseparable. This article overviews the benefits of personal promotion and the methods or tactics you can implement to elevate your brand. Part 2 of this article will explore creating an effective personal brand promotion strategy using these same tactics. Both articles assume you have defined your core service values and unique value proposition and appreciate the need for consistent behaviors to create connections, develop relationships, and build trust.
Benefits of Personal Brand Promotion: Your WHYs
For the real estate salesperson, personal brand promotion is a strategic imperative. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or starting, establishing a solid personal brand by consistently showcasing your unique value is vital to building public trust and ensuring success in our uber-competitive industry. Unlike advertising, which focuses on products, personal brand promotion revolves around your professional values, knowledge, and the people you serve. It aims to establish you and your brand as the go-to expert in your field and community. It’s about becoming the face of real estate in your chosen neighborhoods, someone the public turns to for up-to-date and accurate data, informed guidance, and, ultimately, transactions.
- Building Trust and Visibility
Personal promotion aims to build a trustworthy image and enhance your public persona. It allows you to showcase your expertise and ongoing commitment to staying informed and sharing that information in timely and meaningful ways. It distinguishes you in a crowded market, boosts your online and offline presence, and singles you out as the top choice for potential customers.
- Boosting Reputation, Relationships, and Referrals
You could call them the 3 Rs of real estate: reputation, relationships, and referrals. And indeed, they do lead to one another. Consistently showcasing your expertise and professionalism through personal promotion creates Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA) in your audience and trust-based relationship-building opportunities. Those relationships, in turn, create a vortex of word-of-mouth marketing, generating referrals, a steady stream of business, and expanding your customer base.
- Improving Negotiation Power
Consistent and reliable personal brand promotion strategy and execution gives you an edge in negotiations. Through exposure to your work product, customers have confidence in your skills and trust your guidance through complex real estate transactions; colleagues respect your expertise and work with you to bring the negotiation process to a successful outcome for all parties.
- Adaptability and Resilience
A solid personal brand promotion strategy helps you adapt to market changes and remain resilient during challenging times. Clients tend to stick with a trusted agent even when the market fluctuates, providing stability in your real estate career. Long-Term Success: Personal promotion focuses on building a lasting reputation. This reputation makes you a respected figure in your community, synonymous with current and accurate real estate knowledge. It ensures your success is sustainable over time.
- Professional Development
The process of personal promotion encourages continuous learning and growth. Staying updated with industry trends and knowledge enhances your professionalism, keeping you at the forefront of the real estate field.
Personal Promotion Methods
Personal promotion involves many tactics or methods. Organizing these tactics into a well-thought-out strategy is critical to efficient execution. Here’s a concise overview of the key tactics:
1. Content Creation: Your content can take various forms, from articles to videos. It should inform, inspire, educate, or entertain. You don’t have to create everything yourself; curated content from trusted sources can be valuable. For example, a simple, readily accessible example of content I’ve always liked is the Mansion section of the Wall Street Journal, which features a PR-worthy real estate story, usually involving the transaction of an incredible home and one or more celebrities. This piece makes a great conversation item, can be distributed weekly, and may be retold by your audience along with its source, in this case, you.
2. Social Media: Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter are tremendous tools for distributing content, remaining top of mind, and engaging with everyone in your audience. Utilize these platforms to share industry insights, market news, and personal updates. Part of social media’s power is it provides you with insights into your audience’s life, needs, and interests, so don’t forget to “give back.” Acknowledge your “friends,” “followers,” and “connections” posts with a thumbs up, a comment, a message, or a phone call when appropriate. Engage with your audience by reciprocating interactions to cultivate a dedicated following.
3. Email Marketing: Emails are a tried-and-true method of staying connected with your network, keeping your name and face in front of your base, and informing your base about market trends, updates, and property news. It is a cost-effective way to establish and grow your brand, nurture relationships, and ensure your name is top of mind when your friends, family, referral sources, past clients, and potential ones think or talk of real estate.
4. Networking: Foster local community connections by regularly speaking with the people that make up your base, joining local organizations, attending real estate events, pursuing your interests with like-minded people, or simply being visible in your neighborhood wearing a branded shirt while walking your dog will create opportunities for business, referrals, and collaborations.
Avoid These Tactical Errors
Personal brand promotion missteps can be costly. Let’s look at some of the pitfalls you might encounter and explore ways to avoid these traps.
1. Neglecting Authenticity: Sometimes, in the quest to impress, you may adopt a persona that doesn’t align with your true self. This lack of authenticity can erode trust and make clients wary.
Avoidance Tip: Be genuine. Be consistent. Clients appreciate realtors who are true to themselves. Build your brand around your unique qualities, experiences, and strengths.
2. Overlooking Client Relationships: In the whirlwind of marketing and self-promotion, it’s easy to forget the value of nurturing client relationships. Neglecting existing relationships while chasing new ones can be detrimental.
Avoidance Tip: Prioritize existing relationships. Stay in touch with past and current customers and referral sources, showing genuine care and interest in their needs. A happy customer is often the best advocate for your services.
3. Inconsistent Online Presence: A sporadic or poorly managed online presence can send the wrong message. It might suggest a lack of professionalism or commitment, which can deter potential clients.
Avoidance Tip: Maintain a consistent and professional online presence. Regularly update your website and social media profiles. Engage with your audience by sharing valuable content and responding promptly to inquiries. Follow your friends, followers, and connections to “give back”.
4. Failure to Adapt: The real estate landscape is ever-evolving, and strategies that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Resisting change might prevent you from spotting new opportunities.
Avoidance Tip: Stay adaptable. Keep an eye on industry trends and be open to trying new approaches. Embrace technology and modern marketing techniques to stay relevant.
5. Not Investing in learning and growth: Personal promotion is not static; it evolves with time. Realtors investing in ongoing education may use innovative techniques and best practices.
Avoidance Tip: Commit to lifelong learning. Stay updated with industry developments, attend workshops, and explore new marketing tools. Continuous learning equips you to navigate the ever-changing landscape effectively.
As a dedicated real estate professional, you must recognize personal brand promotion as a cornerstone of your business. Do not make it only about self-marketing; think of it as a way to build trust, enhance client relationships, and achieve lasting success by providing reliable content, helpful perspective, and caring engagement.
Organizing these tactics into a cohesive strategy is crucial for successful personal promotion. Stay tuned for more detailed insights on developing and implementing an effective strategy for personal brand promotion in Part Two of this series. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to call if I can help you plan and deliver an efficient and effective personal promotion strategy.
Happy Selling ∞
Notes. *Martin Turner, Former Branding Consultant, April 1, 2020, Quora
