New forms of media are changing the way buyers and sellers make decisions. Analysis shows 78% of all buyers and sellers will spend time researching a real estate agent online before engaging their services.
In a recent webinar, REINSW President Leanne Pilkington was joined by The Media Coach - Imogen Callister, who shared her secrets to building a world-class agent brand online so you can win more appraisals and sell more property on social media.
A former newsreader and journalist for TV and radio now specialising in digital media, Callister opened the webinar with a brief introduction of herself, her role and her objectives.
“I get to live my dream every day. I wake up and work with some of the top agents in the country to help them master their brand online,” she says.
“What I love most is helping break down digital disruption. With a rise in digital culture and so many changes come so many opportunities to make money out of that landscape,” she says.
“What I want to do today is give agents a complete understanding of how media has evolved, what are the key strategies they need to build a world-class brand online, and ultimately what’s going to help them sell, list and win appraisals through their social media marketing.”
How to win listings and book more appointments on social media
Considering the shift in the way people now engage with brands, Callister outlined the importance of agents focusing on building their personal brand in order to win listings and book more appointments on social media.
The Media Coach explained how traditional ‘paid media’ (e.g. advertising) and ‘earned media’ (e.g. word of mouth, review sites, media mentions) have evolved into essential ‘owned media’ – where the channel is directly owned or controlled by the brand; for example a website, email database, mobile apps, brochures/magazines, bricks and mortar stores, and social media profiles.
“If you want to be a world-class agent, you need to understand that you have to leverage these forms of media to build your brand,” Callister says.
What is personal branding?
“Your personal brand is the image that people see of you,” Callister says. “It can be a combination of how they look at you in real life, how the media portrays you, and the impression that people gain from the information about you available online.”
Personal branding includes:
- Core values
- The way you dress
- Personality / voice
- Education / work experience
- Uniqueness (point of difference)
- Online presence
“The way you present yourself online and your point of difference is the key to understanding your personal brand,” she says. “Your personal brand is what you want people to say about you when you are not in the room.”
According to Callister’s review of hundreds of agent profiles, the most over-used words in real estate include:
- Trustworthy or honest
- Passionate
- Hard-working / professional
- Caring
- Number 1 Agent
So, if using these words is less than ideal, how else can an agent master their unique selling points?
Callister recommends asking yourself two questions:
- What’s something about you or your business that your competitors cannot imitate?
- Can you answer your customer’s question: “Why should I choose you?”
Unique selling points could also be:
- Do you speak another language?
- Core or specialised area?
- Highest sale price in your career?
- Best sales success story
- Qualifications and education
- Have you set street or building records?
- Is there a technology you use to increase the amount of buyers that see the properties you list?
- Are you the most reviewed agent on a platform in an area?
- And many more.
To learn more about the role of personal branding in achieving real estate success, watch the Webinar: How to build a world-class agent brand online