What is a brand? A brand is an emotional thing. It is a gut feeling someone has about a product or service. In real estate, it is the hunch someone has about you. You are a brand!
Individuals define a brand—not companies, markets, logos, color schemes or websites. Each person reacts to a particular brand based on understanding and trust in its value proposition.
Brand development is not about data and facts, but others’ opinions of you—buyers, sellers, fellow agents, friends and so forth. Therefore, you are the manager of your real estate brand.
Branding Has Shifted
In the past, branding focused on features and benefits. For example, we would write lengthy biographies about how our positive attributes, trustworthiness and community expertise as real estate professionals benefit the client.
Today, we need to differentiate our brand from the competition in a more tangible way. If we continue to do business the same way as every other agent, why would a potential client choose to work with us?
1. What should you call your brand?
In real estate, you want people to remember who you are, so building your brand around your name makes the most sense. Using your name is the quickest and most cost-effective way for you to establish mindshare with your audience. As you build your brand, the goal is to connect your name with real estate, so when your audience thinks about buying or selling a home, they think about you.
2. What role does your broker play?
According to local and state guidelines, agents must identify their marketing with the brokerage company that holds their license. Once you have met those guidelines, you may have specific identity standards or policies that your broker requires. Finding a broker that understands that your branding needs come first is essential. Today’s modern broker understands the agent’s brand is the star of the real estate story, and the brokerage brand is in a supporting role. Don’t sacrifice your brand for that of your broker’s.
3. What does your brand stand for?
Your brand should be a describable set of ideas about what it is and what makes it tick. A brand is not a static thing. A living brand breathes through every business interaction and decision you make, not just in your marketing materials.
For more insights on brand building check our Building Your Brand in 2021 resource.
Wendy Forsythe is the chief brand officer at Fathom Realty and has spent her career helping brokers and agents build their brands. Contact her at wendy@fathomrealty.com. To learn more about Fathom Realty visit FathomCareers.com.
