Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2016 | Page 28

MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Would you buy a
Property from you?
Personal branding for real estate agents
BY CHARLOTTE VERMAAK

I

f you can’t answer that question, it’s time to
work on your personal brand. People choose
who they do business with based on a number of
different factors, including presentation, demeanour,
experience and passion.
“And prospective customers might easily see
something online or be part of a conversation where
your name comes up,” says Chas Everitt Nelson
Mandela Bay principal Charlotte Vermaak. “In
today’s digital and connected world, you need to
remember that people have an opportunity to make
judgements about you, long before you meet.”
While an individual’s perceptions of you should be
based on what you know rather than what you look
like, most people form opinions about others when
they first meet, based on their appearance. Makeing
your appearance a good place to start when building
your brand.

Managing your personal brand through
your physical appearance

Professional dress is critical. The way you “package”
yourself sends a message about you, your skills
and your organisation. You need to dress in a way
that reflects what you want people to think of you.
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NOVEMBER 2016 SA Real Estate Investor

Dressing well does not mean spending thousands on
designer clothes. It means wearing clothes that fit you
well, for example, and carrying your notes and notes
and business cards in a file rather than an untidy pile.

Managing your brand through your
introductions

The so-called “elevator pitch” is a brief, persuasive
speech that you use to spark interest in what you do.
You can also use it to create interest in a property
or yourself. A good elevator pitch should last no
longer than 20 to 30 seconds. It should be exciting,
memorable, and succinct. And it needs to explain
what makes you or your organisation unique.
“If you’re having trouble creating your elevator
pitch, go back to the basics,” advises Vermaak. “Why
do you love real estate? People? Your town? Try to
remember the reason you got into this field and the
first sale you made. Use those emotions to drive your
pitch.

Managing your personal brand through
your online presence

Social media can be a very powerful tool to build your
brand; it’s easily shared via “likes”, “shares”, “retweets”
www.reimag.co.za