Building Your Agent Brand and Telling Your Story

Powerhouses and super heroes of our industry are deemed so because they grew their brand and business out of strong foundations, with values cemented into the core of every decision made.

“Originality consists of returning to the origin.” – Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi, 1878. Sourced from Wikipedia

Antoni Gaudi was a well-revered Spanish-Catalan architect from the late 1800s into the 1900s (the previous turn of the century). Gaudi historically is aligned with the Modernista movement, but truly gained acclaim for his unique, original, architectural designs. His most well-known work is The Sagrada Familia, a basilica in Barcelona. Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer prize-winning architecture critic said of the basilica that it is “impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art.”

Now, what does this architect have to do with real estate agents?

His description of originality.

Building your own brand is about understanding what your long-term goal, or vision, is. This mission and your beliefs are what drive you to be successful, to have grit. You won’t succeed by simply replicating what a different accomplished agent did. You have to learn from others and set out to be better than ever before.

What is a brand?

“A brand, at it’s core, is what your company means to people.” – Brian Boero

For individual agents, especially those associated with a larger-known brokerage, you may not think you even have a brand. But, that’s simply not true.

A brand is more than a logo, a color, a sign in a yard – brand is the gut feeling you inspire in others when they hear about you, meet you, work with you. Your brand as an agent, while it may or may not have things like a logo or a sign, is truly your name and your integrity.

How do I tell my story?

Brian Boero from 1000watt has created an exercise to determine the clear value you provide to clients. This brand description (also called a value position or key differentiation message) will help you stay true to your goals and communicate your value to your clients.

Boero lays out three questions to get your creative juices flowing and determine your clear value. Remember, the answers may not be earth shattering. Just make sure they are own-able, defensible and can be translated into something people care about.

1. What can you do that no other agent can do?

What do you do that goes above and beyond other agents? What does your brokerage do better than any other company in the area?

2. What can you say that no other agent can say?

What can you say that you’ve brought to your community? What does your brokerage say they have achieved for their community?

3. What are you willing to say or do that no one else is willing to say?

What can you say that you defend and protect in your industry, in your community, for your clients? What does your brokerage say they stand for int he community?

After clearly identifying your brand, the vision of your career can become much clearer. Your website can promote your brand and voice, your social media can show off your personality which strengthens your brand, and a stronger brand will increase your customer loyalty and in turn, business.

Who knows, just like Gaudi, maybe you’ll become the well-known feature in your city!

This article originally appeared in Grit Unlocked.