Practical Ways Agents Can Stand Out From the Crowd

Casey Samson, CEO of The Casey Samson Team with Samson Properties in Vienna, doesn’t think he looks good in pictures. But one day when he was trying on a black vest in a pro shop, he crossed his arms to test the fit and had an “aha” moment.

“That’s the look I knew I wanted for my brand,” says Samson. “I’ve been a football coach since the 1980s. As a coach and as a real estate agent, you need to be calm and confident enough to run the show. That crossed-arm pose with the black vest presented that image. My brand started with that moment.”

Realtors® need to establish their identity in a way that makes them memorable to potential clients and reflects something about themselves or their values.

Real estate agents should look at the words their clients use in testimonials and use some of those words as part of their brand." -Steven Starks, University of Phoenix

“Your brand can’t be a substitute for your relationship with your clients; it just needs to reinforce that they made the right decision to work with you,” says Elizabeth Lucchesi, a Realtor® and leader of The LizLuke Team with Long & Foster in Alexandria.

Lucchesi can pinpoint the exact date she decided to develop her brand: May 15, 2008.

“I had a watershed moment when I suddenly realized that I was working too hard, doing everything myself and yet my pipeline was about to be empty,” says Lucchesi. “My clients and other people knew how much I cared about them, but I wasn’t getting that message out in any clear and consistent way.”

Lucchesi created a team and realized that her website address, which was her full name, was too long and didn’t represent the team approach. After branding “The LizLuke Team,” she and her team have developed intentional ways to promote the team’s mission and core values of providing care before, during and after a sale to create lasting relationships.

WHY YOUR BRAND MATTERS

Real estate is a competitive business, so you need to find your differentiator, says Jeffrey Shaw, a branding consultant in Miami and author of “LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible.”

“I recently worked with a real estate agent in Miami who helped me find an apartment that fit my ‘Northern ways,’” says Shaw, who is originally

from New York. “She’s from Boston and she understood that I wanted a place with a concierge who would know me, and she knew I would be surprised that in Miami, renters typically need four months’ worth of rent upfront, including first and last month’s rent, plus a security deposit for the landlord and a security deposit for the building owner.”

Shaw says he suggested she brand herself to highlight her “Northern sensibility” along with her Miami market knowledge to reach others like him moving to the city.

Every professional in any field needs to stand out from others who provide the same services, says Steven Starks, a senior career counselor with the University of Phoenix.

“Your brand should be a way to demonstrate your reputation, your expertise and your value,” says Starks.

A brand needs to reflect what’s unique about you, your experience or your skills, he says.

“Your brand is your promise to your clients and your future clients about what to expect,” says Tara Furges Houston, an associate broker with eXp Realty in Ashburn. “Your brand speaks before you do.”

Houston’s brand started as “Building Legacy Through Homeownership,” but over time she and her husband and business partner realized that their business is broader.

“Our mission is Building Legacy through education, training and helping other agents build their business, as well as through homeownership,” says Houston.

START WITH STORIES

While Houston says numerous coaches and mentors helped her sharpen her brand focus, she explains that story- telling is an essential part of branding.

“You need to figure out your unique story and tell stories that could have an impact on other people’s lives,” she says. “People are moved by understanding how you got to where you are. They want to know about your struggles and setbacks, not just your success stories. our stories need to resonate with people, so they remember you.”

For example, Houston says, in her experience people are more interested in a story about how you helped a single woman who had been bankrupt become a homeowner rather than helping a millionaire buyer.

A series of success stories can add credibility to your brand, especially if they’re personalized, not just a bunch of statistics, says Starks.

For Bobbi Desai, a Realtor® with Century 21 Redwood Realty in Ashburn, known as “Special Agent Bobbi,” branding came naturally.

“My background is in marketing, and I switched to real estate for a more flexible schedule,” says Desai. “At first I worked leads from my company, but I knew I wanted to figure out a niche.”

Desai, whose son has special needs, wanted to help other families with special needs kids, which eventually became part of her brand.

“The majority of the people I work with aren’t special needs families, but my referrals mention how patient and caring I am with people,” says Desai. “People remember the name ‘Special Agent Bobbi’ which refers to the fact that I am a real estate specialist as well as a special needs mom.”

The most important thing an agent can do is figure out who they are, says Samson.

“I realized that from my football background I’m into winning,” he says. “Results count. My job is to sell your house and win for you, so our brand became ‘results count.’ Lots of Realtors® say they provide good service, but you have to differentiate yourself. We focus on selling.”

EXERCISES TO DEVELOP YOUR BRAND

Even new agents can start building their brand as they grow their business, says Houston, by working on a slogan that reflects what they want to accomplish.

“Ask yourself why you’re doing this, what your mission is – understand what attracts you to real estate,” says Houston. “That will help you understand why someone would want to work with you.”

Houston says agents should avoid branding themselves as a “real estate tycoon” for example, when they haven’t sold anything yet.

“Your brand can evolve with you as your business grows,” she says.

Desai did a branding exercise with her broker, answering questions such as “who are you?” and “who do you want to work with?” and “what do you want to be known for?”

“I realized I connected with people who have special needs kids or who have unique needs,” says Desai.

To develop a brand, suggests Starks, you should start by understanding who you want to reach. He recommends making your brand specific to the clients you want.

“Take stock of yourself and get others,” says Starks. “Real estate agents should look at the words their clients use in testimonials and use some of those words as part of their brand.”

If you’re not sure why your clients will refer you or not sure if they will, Lucchesi says you should ask them.

“Triple-dog-dare yourself to double- down on this and ask your clients what attracted them to you and then replicate those traits with a consistent message,” says Lucchesi.

Pay attention to the compliments you brush off, says Shaw.

“I’ve always been teased and complimented about being extremely organized, but I didn’t see that as a value,” he says. “But it turns out a lot of the people I worked with as a professional photographer appreciated that they knew every detail would be handled.”

You also need to understand your customers’ perspective, says Shaw.

“If you know you’re working with young people or older people or mostly women, you can develop a brand around what feels familiar and comfortable to them,” says Shaw. “Your logo and your colors can be targeted to a contemporary or a traditional style based on your knowledge of your customers.”

WHEN TO BRING IN THE PROS

While most people can DIY their can help you package your brand.

“If you hire a professional branding expert, make sure you have one-on-one time with the pro to articulate your goals and values,” says Starks.

Shaw suggests hiring several subcontractors, including technical people who can develop your logo and website.

“You also need someone who is focused on your messaging; people hire you because they think you get them,” says Shaw. “They need to feel that they share your values. It can be hard to get to your core message on your own because you’re too close to it.”

A brand consultant can be brought in early in your career to help you decide who you are and who you connect with, says Shaw. Or it can be part of a reboot if your career is lagging.

While Desai handled her own messaging, she used “48 Hours Logos” for an inexpensive logo, hired someone to design her brochure and engaged a social media team to help her with videos.

Lucchesi employed a graphic artist to create a logo and uses that logo everywhere from her website to stationery, signs and water bottles.

“I rely on my internal team to coordinate our social media,” says Lucchesi. “I just want to sell houses, not spend too much time marketing myself and my team.”

USING YOUR BRAND

Once you’ve developed your brand, you need to use it consistently for it to have value. The LizLuke Team rolls the brand into every part of its marketing, which includes posting market and mortgage trends, client testimonials and fun neighborhood items on social media. The team has a marketing plan for every day, week, month and quarter.

Houston and her team use “Building Legacy” or “Legacy Builders” on every social media site.

“Sixty percent of people on social media use mobile devices, so they often go to the first page only,” says Shaw. “You need to make sure you’ve got ‘front-facing branding’ that shows up on the home page of your website. People have a short attention span, so that’s why you need a standout statement, a one-line tagline or slogan that helps them understand who you are and remember you.”

Shaw recommends that real estate agents get their clients to help spread brand recognition. 

“Tell your clients the top three things you’d like to be known for and ask them to mention [those things] in their testimonials and referrals,” he says.

 Consistency is the most important thing when it comes to your brand, says Desai, who puts a short video out every Tuesday.

“I align myself with companies that fit my brand and stay true to my mission and give 20 percent of every commission to a children’s charity,” says Desai.

Samson relies on a full-time assistant to focus on brand maintenance.

“We focus on the message, such as ‘we just sold a house’ and the market, which is anyone who would care about that particular sale,” says Samson. “Based on the message and the market, we choose a delivery system, such as sold cards to homes and a Facebook post to a certain segment of followers.”

Shaw systematically uses a variety of social media platforms and repeats or repurposes content. He recommends sharing content with your community, such as a link to an interesting article with a comment that shows your expertise.

“Choose one platform, such as your website, that serves as a point of reference where people can see your success stories,” says Starks. “Then choose another platform for active sharing of valuable information where the people who you want to serve will see it when they’re looking for information, such as Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter.”

Branding isn’t a “one-and-done” exercise.

“Your brand is who you are when you wake up and when you go to sleep,” says Houston. “It’s never off.” 





Michele Lerner, a freelance writer based in the Washington, D.C. area, has been writing about real estate and personal finance for more than 20 years.