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Building an agent’s personal brand can be overwhelming, but two top agents recommended focusing on incremental improvement in one or two key areas at an Inman Connect Now virtual session.
With the sheer number of platforms on which agents are expected to be active — particularly online — concentrating on one type of social media can be a way to gain traction before extending into other brand-building efforts, Aaron Seawood of Triplemint and Michele Bellisari of Real Broker said at Tuesday’s session.
“Pick a platform,” Seawood said. “You may well need to be everywhere [eventually], but for right now, for the fall, find one place that you organically enjoy being. It won’t feel like work. It won’t feel like a heavy lift. And [then] crush that.”
Bellisari said she’s had success with short-form video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Stories, Reels or YouTube Shorts. Agents who can showcase listings or discuss their markets while injecting their own personality into these videos stand to attract buyers and sellers, she said.
“I know we always have these conversations about video and not being on video,” Bellisari said. “I don’t think you really have a choice at this point.”
One of the first hurdles that an agent might need to clear is building the self-confidence to put themselves out there.
“The first sale you make is to yourself,” Seawood said. “So just know that you’re worthy, know that you have a value proposition, identify what that is and feel good about it. Only in the absence of value will people not want to pay you or [not] want to give you a shot.”
It’s important to have fun with the content you’re creating, Bellisari said. Doing so will feed into the sense of authenticity that makes for successful branding content, she said.
At the same time, there are pitfalls to avoid when getting personal online.
“I want to make sure that it is presented in a manner that I will be proud of,” Bellisari said. “Make sure that you’re not putting inappropriate things out there that are not going to shine well upon your brand.”
Another mistake agents make when extending their brand into new spaces is trying to be all things to all people, Seawood said. His team at Triplemint operates in the luxury space, roughly in the $2 million to $6 million range. Ultimately the portfolio agents want is the one they should be pursuing and sharing online while building a brand, Seawood said.
“If you say you’re a luxury team, then you should be selling luxury property,” Seawood said. “And how do you get there? You have to put yourself in the environment and then level up until you can get there. And so you crawl, then you walk, then you run.”
