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I was having lunch with a realtor friend of mine recently and I asked her how her business was going. We live in South Florida where everyone seems to have their real estate license and the real estate market has been in the tank for it seems forever. Plus, I knew that she worked for a small real estate firm. Her reply to me was “The internet is a great equalizer”. She told me that she is leveraging social media to connect with customers through a personal blog, Facebook and Twitter.

What was interesting to me is that she knows that the little agent on the corner is just as capable of selling your house as the large brokerage firm with the big name. She decided to create her own website where she would brand herself as a successful realtor in her niche market, which is waterfront property.

I could see she is completely correct on this approach. The future belongs to the little agent because in a bad economy they are particularly hungry to make commissions and will be more creative and innovative in order to survive. Certainly the large brokers can outspend them, but social media is free advertising especially once their website is created. Large brokers are like most large corporations – it takes a committee to decide anything and forever for an approval to launch a marketing campaign. In the meantime, these smaller real estate agents are finding ways to connect to their prospects and brand themselves as the expert for selling homes.

I read an NAR report that said 76% of people who decide to sell their home with the assistance of a real estate agent will interview only one agent for the job. So, how can you be the one agent that everyone is looking for? If you have succeeded at positioning yourself as the realtor of choice, you will be the person that they think of to call. By branding yourself correctly, you can create that perception that you are their only option – the only agent – that will sell their home.

What Consumers Want from a Real Estate Agent

Home buying decisions are no different than the sales process for other services that we buy from a professional. By that, I mean we want to work with someone that is trustworthy, honest, has a good reputation and that can deliver the sale. Buyers will also listen to recommendations from others on their experience with that person or company.

Today’s shoppers are much savvier due to the internet and they demand to work with someone at the top of their game. They do not really care about the name of the brokerage because they want a person to work with that will be enthusiastic, provide great service and be a resources for them, on top of finding them a home or selling one. People do not do business with a brand name, they do business with people.

As much as 80% of homebuyers use the internet to find both agents and homes. How are they going to find you if your only presence is on your brokerage site? The smart real estate agents have quickly figured out that if they brand their name and their expertise, this will help them be the realtor of choice and generate leads.

Steps to Create Your Brand as a Real Estate Agent

Step 1: Determine where your primary focus is i.e. retiree home sales, waterfront, commercial property, families and create your brand around that. As with any top salesperson, target marketing leads to greater results because you get quickly noted as the expert in that particular area.

Step 2: Create a slogan to go along with it that can be used on a website or promotional materials.

Step 3: Put into action a marketing plan to build this credibility that you are the best, regardless of market conditions.

Step 4: Branding is everything you stand for, meaning your promise to your customers.

Step 5: Match your image to your brand. If you are in the luxury market, then you must mirror that community.

Taking Your Brand Online

My friend had told me that the single most important thing that she had done was to get a website where she could write articles and provide information for her prospects and send to her mailing list. She wanted to be forefront in their minds that she is an expert and would be someone that they can highly recommend. By having a website it gave her friends a place to send any referral where she could be “checked out” before contacting her.

Her blog contains many resources other than the MLS property search for a visitor to her site. She has a mortgage calculator, home value estimator, school searcher and other tools all in one place. Additionally, she provides community information, success stories and generates a real connection with her brand. People can connect with her on Facebook and Twitter or provide their email address for her white paper on a latest home buying topic.

She has also added her personal website to her brokerage business card and added it to her email signature. My next article will discuss building your realtor blog in more depth by providing some creative ideas to drive people to your site. Facebook and Twitter are also important tools to be used, but her website is her home base where she wants to drive her customers to so that they can see that she is at the top of her game.

A perfect solution for you to begin this process is with a product called My Branding System. This is an easy step by step system that helps you build an attractive site to personally brand you. It comes with enhanced features for realtors, but also incorporates many features that other systems may not have.

Please contact me for further information on how we can create your brand as the best real estate agent in your area. Now that social media has become mainstream, it is very important for real estate agents to learn how to market themselves online, in addition to offline. Otherwise, their competition will take that position as the expert in their marketplace.

Since, for most of us, the value of our house, is our single – biggest, financial asset, wouldn’t it make sense, for potential home buyers, to enter – into this process, in a more – prepared, knowledgable manner, rather than resorting to permitting their emotions, to take – over, most of their process/ path – forward? After, over 15 years, as a Real Estate Licensed Salesperson, in the State of New York, I have come to, strongly, believe, there are, at least, 6 considerations, which must be, fully – examined, and considered, before moving forward. With, that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, these, and why, they are important, and, truly, matter.

1. Price Range/ Affordability/ Credit: Before, starting this process, and, even, looking at/ viewing, even, one house, it is important, to objectively, and introspectively, perform a personal, check – up, from the neck – up, and determine, what price range, you can afford, and, whether, you have the credit, needed, to qualify, for appropriate, financing/ mortgage, paying the monthly installments, and feel comfortable, with that responsibility, on a regular basis. Remember, this is, in addition to, the down – payment, closing costs, etc, needed, up – front!

2. Personal/ family needs; present priorities and perceptions: What are your current, personal, and family needs, and why? What are your options, and which, is best for you, personally? What do you need, and, are you, ready, willing, and able to differentiate, between, your needs, and wish – list, etc?

3. Future situations, and circumstances: Are you looking, to buy, a home, for a long – period, or, merely, a shorter – term, so – called, starter – home? What do you, anticipate, your future needs, and circumstances, might be, and, will you, be prepared, accordingly?

4. Specific area: What attracts you, to a specific area, and why? How does it serve your interests, and benefit you, personally, both, in the immediate, as well as longer – run? Is it, the convenience, safety, schools, neighborhood, beauty of area, or, what? How much are these, worth, to you?

5. Schools/ education: In general, quality school systems, appeal, to prospective buyers, and, thus, keeps prices – up, and stronger, because, it adds, significantly, to the appeal, of the specific region, etc! However, with that, usually, comes higher taxes (because of school taxes, etc), so, how might you balance this, to your best interests?

6. Safety/ crime: There is little doubt, the perceived safety, of an area, is a significant factor, in terms of home values/ pricing! When, both, perceptions, and reality, show, lower – than – average, amounts of crime, the prices of houses, usually, benefit, and are higher – than – other areas!

Be as smart, a home buyer, as possible, and move forward, asking, all the questions, which matter, most, to you, before making any purchase decisions! Will you help yourself, when it comes to this?

“Buying a new home, especially if it’s your first home, is not an easy thing to do. There’s new terminology to learn, an entire process to follow and a large number of decisions to make. That’s why almost everyone who buys a home works with professionals in the field to make sure that they get a good deal on a good home without too much of a headache. The most important person in the team of professionals that you’ll want as a home buyer is your realtor. But how do you go about finding a good realtor?

Here are some of the top ways that successful home buyers find good realtors:

1) Word-of-mouth. Often, the best way to get a good realtor is to start asking everyone you know if they know of a good realtor. You’ve probably gotten other professional help this way (everyone’s always asking if you know of a good dentist, right?) Of course, you shouldn’t just jump into bed with the first realtor who gets referred to you – your Aunt Sally’s blind elderly neighbor that talks to his cat might come with her referral but he might not be able to meet your home buying needs. But good word-of-mouth referrals are a great starting point for finding a good realtor.

2) Look at the ads in real estate magazines. A picture is worth a thousand words right? If someone is invested enough to get a good professional picture and take the time to advertise in key locations, he probably cares a lot about his real estate business. And that means he’s got a good chance of being a dedicated realtor. It doesn’t hurt to search the ads to see who is out there and to make an appointment to meet with some people.

3) Make use of your search engine. You can do a whole lot of research into local realtors by typing your information request into your search engine. Review some realtor websites and look for positive reviews of realtors in your area to help you find a good realtor.

4) Put together a list of interview questions and don’t be afraid to interview a number of different realtors until you find the one that you want to work with. Yes, you might be seen as a pesky client but if a realtor wants your business, she’s going to work hard to get it which means she’ll fully answer the questions that you have. Things you’ll want to know include the length of time she’s been in business, how well she knows the area that you’re interested in buying a home in and what she’s going to do to help you understand the home buying process.

If you find a good realtor, the rest of the home buying process should go relatively smoothly. Yes, you’ll still have decisions to make but you’ll have a professional real estate agent there to help you with those decisions. And you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that the hard part is over. Well, at least until it’s time to start moving in!”

People rely more and more on the internet for shopping. It’s a fact that the percentage of people who have bought something on the internet is growing. Even those wary of the internet are beginning to test the waters.

But what is really amazing is that the internet is being used more and more for large and expensive items. Automobiles, large appliances and even airplanes are for sale in cyberspace.

So does it make sense that realtors can use the internet for their business? Of course it makes sense! It not only makes sense, it gives realtors a leading edge on the market.

Where My Thoughts Linger

People are using the internet to list their houses for sale. They are not professional realtors and don’t know how to maximize their selling price. And yet online real estate sales are successful. If in doubt, you can visit any online auction site and find thousands of listings by owner.

So if a private individual can successfully use the internet to sell a house, imagine the possibilities for selling real estate if you are a professional with an understanding of the market.

– Get potential leads on people planning to move to the area – those who thoughts are already on their new home

– Make your commercial listings known to potential investors around the world

– Create a unique real estate identity that people can trust

– Search engine optimize your website so you come out ahead of the pack on the browsers

– Take advantage of online marketing opportunities to get your listings noticed

– Become known as the local professional who has all the necessary information about the area

– Include stories and references that potential leads can use to verify honesty and integrity

When people are moving to a realtors area from a distance place, one of their major concerns is finding a real estate agent who is

1) knowledgeable,

2) interested in their goals and

3) will work to find the right properties.

Many wait until they actually move to even begin looking, renting in the meantime. If they could get the information they need before moving, a realtor could potentially ease their fears and show them housing long before the actual move.

This benefits the realtor and the buyers. Renting while looking for a house is disruptive to a family because it means moving twice. A realtor can carve out a niche in the online real estate market that will increase leads and sales.

Follow The Leader

The tools available for building a website expand all the time. A Realtor can use these tools to develop a website that enhances the professional reputation while building leads.

– Auto-responders make sure you don’t miss a potential customer by logging visits to the realtor’s website and responding to inquiries immediately

– Audio on the website can add a personal touch so that the customer feels as if they meet the realtor which raises trust level

– Online newsletters can advertise successful sales and offer useful information to potential buyers

– Pictures can present the properties in any detail desired – room by room if the realtor chooses

– Streaming video can offer tours of the homes and the surrounding area

– Online forms collect important information about the buyer and their housing requirements

A well-designed realtor website will generate targeted traffic. If you are not qualified to create the website you need, there are webmasters who can help you design a site that will build business.

Done correctly, the website will pre-sell many of the properties before you even talk to the potential buyers. Be a leader in the real estate cyber world and you will have plenty of followers called leads.

Catchy taglines are everywhere in advertising. Whether they rhyme, or they inspire, or they create a memorable image, taglines are something every advertising agency works hard to craft. How many of us know, “Like a good neighbor” or “Just do it”? While you might not create a slogan as memorable as those, you should be able to come up with something that your local clients will always think of. Need a little inspiration to get started? Here are some suggestions for slogans and ways to get the creativity rolling.

When you do come up with a slogan, you need to use it throughout your advertising and on your website. That way, people will be faced with the association frequently and they will be better able to keep your name and the slogan together.

Your slogan should be short and sweet. Try your best to keep it under eight words. Anything longer will just deter people instead of drawing them in. It should also make sense for the brand you are creating.

One thing you can do is come up with a rhyming slogan. Case in point – a Realtor named Scott Geller tagged “The Home Seller” after his name and because it rolls off the tongue so smoothly, it has become all one phrase. And, that makes it easy to advertise. His word of mouth campaign keeps his advertising costs low.

Your slogan should make a tug on the heartstrings, too. You are taking part in one of the most important events in a person’s life. By letting your customers know what you can do in terms of customer service, your slogan will help quickly convey what you can do. Consider something like, “Jane Smith – Helping Your Family Make the Right Move”.

Avoid any slogans that are bland or generic. They won’t work to set you apart from your competition, and they might even work against you. If your slogan is generic, your potential clients might think you are, too, and that you won’t be the best agent they can find. Think about something like, “I’ll take the stress out of your home buying experience”, or “Call the Carson City condo specialist”.

You can also consider your location for your slogan. When you add in your place, it not only helps make you the personal expert for someone, you also boost your search engine ranking.

Creating an image in your potential client’s mind is an effective slogan, too. Assuring your client you can solve the mystery of home buying or be their personal navigator makes that slogan unique and memorable at the same time.

If creativity is still escaping you, you can contract this process out and hire a professional. Some will even blend the slogan into your total advertising plan, and not charge you too much for it.

Now, if you come up with a slogan and you test it on your friends and family but you receive a negative reaction, be ready to set that slogan aside and pick something else. You should also not take it personally. Try out another one and keep going until you do find one that is well received.