Improve Your First Online Impression
These
days, buyers, sellers, and agents are finding you for the first time online
more than ever before. According to a study conducted by NAR in 2018, more than
90% of home buyers conduct their home search online. So, whether it is from a
listing that matches their search, social media, a third-party website, or a
blog post, you want to make sure that their first impression of your brokerage
sets you apart from the competition and leaves a lasting impression. Here are
some things you can implement to help you start these relationships on the
right foot.
Keep Agent Team Webpage and Social Profiles Current
and Active.
For
both Gen X and Gen Y clients, nothing raises a red flag quicker than a Facebook
page that hasn’t had a post in a month. Website and social
profiles should regularly showcase the skills and experience of you and
your team in a visual and relatable way. It tells customers why you’re the
right partner for their real estate transaction.
An
effective profile contains:
- A
high-quality photograph (headshot only) presents your team members as
likable and trustworthy. You don’t necessarily need to hire a professional
photographer but avoid ‘selfie’ shots with shadows or odd angles.
Encourage your team to dress professionally (no ballcaps or sunglasses) in
their online photo. Update photos about every 2 years or when a team
member’s appearance changes significantly. People expect to meet the
person they seen online.
- An
engaging bio that tells a story about each team member. The bio
establishes credibility with potential clients by being relatable; avoid
using the bio like an advertisement. A useful bio will outline
qualifications, personal background, and the kind of partnership approach
you will take with clients. Team
members can also use their bio to explain their knowledge about the
local market and share client testimonials.
Since
each team member is an extension of your brand, the language, and style of
their bio should be consistent, and reflect the values of your real estate
brokerage.
Craft A Content Plan
Content
remains king in the information age. At the core of every successful real
estate content marketing strategy are three things:
A clear vision: In order to best optimize your
content and resonate with your ideal clients you need to create a comprehensive
profile of who they are, what they seek, and what problems they face. Decide
what you want to accomplish through your content plan.
Altruism: Make sure that all the content
you post is in the best interest of the target audience. If you constantly try
to promote yourself throughout your blog and other content, you will alienate
the people that you are trying to attract. Instead, aim to inform and entertain
them by delivering the content that they crave without any expectation of
getting something back.
Consistency: Create consistency with all of
your content to present a more polished perception. Not only should everything
look, sound, and feel the same, it should be posted and updated on a consistent
basis.
Since
you can never be sure which piece of content someone will find first, it is
important to regularly update your content on brokerage blog posts, social
media channels, and pay careful attention to your images and videos. An active
and relatable set of digital channels can be like honey to the bees for
creating a first impression that leads to engagement.
Leverage Testimonials
One
of the main driving factors behind a buyer’s decision-making process is social
proof. Here you really only get one chance to make a first impression. With so
many competing brokers and agents out there, the one with visible, authentic
sounding, properly attributed reviews will often be the one who gets the call.
Luckily,
online reviews are easier to collect and control than traditional word of
mouth. Get the most out of every testimonial, no matter where it was collected
from, by posting them everywhere people can find you like your website, profile
pages, various social media profiles, third-party websites, printed materials
and newsletters. There are many resources out there available to help you do
this.
Affiliation Can Help Make Your First Impression
Stronger
Making
a great first impression is one thing, but you have to have the infrastructure
to live up to customers once you get them. Sure, you can build all the tech,
tools and systems on your own, but it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears and
you have a business to run! By finding the right brand to affiliate with, much
of the heavy lifting will already be done for you. All you have to do is
apply it to your already successful business. Weichert franchisees benefit from
a comprehensive suite of branding, technology, lead generation, marketing
tools, and training that allow them to always put their best foot forward on
and offline.
The
power of a carefully built brand, like Weichert, gives every franchise owner a
leg up in their local marketing and recruiting. When coupled with our proven
systems for everything from personal branding, to training, to brokerage
management, you can finally spend more time working on your business, instead
of in it.
For
more information about how Weichert can help you strengthen your brokerage’s
first impression, go to
www.weichertfranchise.com or contact us
at 877-567-3350.
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