Real Estate Branding Ideas: 4 Tips and Tricks for Agents
Branding is important for your real estate career. Sure, you can (and often should) leverage your brokerage as a brand, but you need to train your market area to recognize you as an individual agent with a unique identity. But personal branding is a delicate balance: For example, you don’t want to be known as another Coldwell Banker agent, but you also don’t want to break the rules by creating a custom off-brand pink and orange Coldwell Banker sign! If you want to break away from the pack and start to build your own brand, here are four great real estate branding tips:
1. Make It Memorable
Some people think that “branding” refers to a logo you have designed or the way you promote your brand, but that’s not what branding is all about. When you create a brand, you decide how you can attract your target audience with an identity that speaks to their needs.
Are you specializing in first-time homebuyers? Perhaps your brand is “First-Time Home Buyer Pro.” Do you work best with international buyers and sellers? Your brand could be “International {City} Real Estate Expert.” Do you focus on the condo market? Consider building a brand off of “{City} Condo Living.” Think about your specialities and unique talents. What do you bring to the table?
2. Personalized Logos
Once you have a memorable tagline to base your new brand from, start to train your prospects and clients to think of you when they think of real estate. And, since images are often stronger than words, you should start out by having a logo designed. Logos are one of the strongest brand identifiers and will often be the most widely used element in all of your future marketing campaigns.
When creating a branding logo, make sure not to alter your broker’s existing logo. Instead, draw from inspiration which clients already recognize, e.g. your initials or even your unique talents. If you are an expert in ranches, consider using Western themes, or if you are an apartment expert in New York, consider using the Manhattan skyline.
Now you can promote your logo in the following ways:
- Put your logo on your website, social media profiles, email signature, business cards, listing flyers, listing presentations, direct mail pieces and every other place you promote your business.
- When creating content for your blog, watermark your photos and images with your logos. Your branded media assets will exist on the web perpetually promoting your brand on your behalf!
3. Leverage Your Brand on Social Media
Naturally, your logo should appear on all your social media pages. In addition, you can leverage your brand on Facebook. Post about your brand and share your personal values and traits that make you exceptionally good at your area of expertise. In addition, respond promptly to comments that other people leave on your posts. You can even get creative by using Facebook Live to live-stream open houses.
Video is another way to attract attention, since people respond more frequently to video as opposed to text. Put an introductory video on your website and Facebook page. Let your prospects and clients see you “in person” to get to know you better.
Use Instagram to deepen your relationship with your prospects and clients. You want to develop a content strategy that identifies how you can engage people on Instagram without overwhelming them. Then, track the responses you receive, and expand on topics that received abundant feedback from the community.
4. Put Strong Branding Messages on Your Website
A well-designed website will help you to generate leads. You may not be on the first page of search results, but you will discover there are many ways to use your website. For example, write a short eBook with information specific to your target market, and then build your mailing list by creating a sign-up form to provide access to it. In addition, send out postcards promoting the eBook and directing people to your website.
Make your website “information central” for people in your target market. Don’t just put your logo in the header; use the home page to discuss your services and establish your expertise. In addition, don’t just put a bio on your About page; use that page to let people know why they should work with you as opposed to any other agent.
These four branding tips will put you on the road to becoming a local real estate market expert. You’ll establish your expertise, and the next time someone thinks about real estate in your niche, they’ll think of you first!