Transform Issue Two.pdf Apr. 2014 | Page 6

A Holistic Approach for Branding Yourself Online With 90% of potential homebuyers searching online for properties and real estate agents, according to the National Association of Realtors, it’s imperative that every new or established agent has a strong online brand. This is often the starting point where a new real estate agent builds his personal brand. In the past, such a presence would usually just consist of a hastily created profile on your company’s Web page with contact info. But those days are long gone. 6 Integrate Your Online Branding Instead of approaching your online branding as separate, unrelated components, many successful agents now are adopting a more holistic approach that consists of the following steps: 1. Launch your own free website that outlines the unique skills and personality you bring to the table. In addition to your business profile, share your interests and be sure to share some tips that might help someone buying or listing their home for the first time. In addition, post the kind of listings you specialize in and be sure to highlight your niche. In branding, it’s not OK to be all things to all people. You must decide. Are you a real estate agent that specializes in business properties? Or are you an agent specializing in vacation or residential homes? This is critical information for establishing your online brand. You can create your personal website for free on Wordpress. com, Google’s blogger.com or on the popular Tumblr.com. They are all easy and intuitive to use and are indexed by Google quickly and frequently. This simply means your