Six steps to building your brand

Real estate professionals have similar challenges as doctors and attorneys – there’s a lot of competition.

Marketing expert Marsha Friedman, founder and CEO of EMSI Public Relations, said it’s important for Realtors® to differentiate themselves.

“You need to consider what your expertise is, what you’re passionate about, what makes you different,” she said. “Do you like working with high-end clients? Are you an expert working with first-time homebuyers?”

She urges Realtors® to take the following steps to further market their expertise:

• Create a blog. “Post articles that are relative to your knowledge about your specialty,” she said. “Provide and share information that’s interesting to your prospective client. It might be tax ramifications for buying or selling.”
• Create videos. “If you don’t like to write, create a video blog with short videos highlighting different subjects in the market you’re working in,” she said.
• Write a book. Share advice about what you know.
• Build a database for potential clients. This helps Realtors® ensure they’re in front of their potential clients all the time.
• Make a story pitch to the local media. “Getting quoted in newspapers or other media helps build your credibility,” Friedman said.
• Take advantage of social media. “You can advertise so affordably through social media and target your audience geographically or demographically. It’s really an effective way to advertise,” she said.

“These are all steps to building your brand and constantly being out there,” she added. “You want to be known as the go-to expert in your market.

“It’s a commitment of time to make sure your message is communicated effectively and that you’re engaging your audience,” she said.