5 Ways to Stand Out as a Real Estate Agent

Successful real estate agents have worked hard to establish and maintain their reputations. Learn how to stand out as a real estate agent.

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5 Ways to Stand Out as a Real Estate Agent

Posted by Gary Ashton on Monday, May 9th, 2022 at 10:01am.

How to Become a Trusted Local Real Estate AgentStanding out as a trusted real estate agent is an ongoing process. Becoming a local expert is step one, but maintaining that status is a never-ending process. Between word of mouth from the community and online reputation, there is a lot to consider when developing a memorable professional appearance.

Whether you're a seasoned real estate agent or you're looking to join a real estate team, taking proactive steps to solidify a strong reputation is essential. This goes a long way toward turning your brokerage's lead generation into successful transactions and keeping a steady stream of happy clients. Keep reading to learn how you make an impression as a real estate agent.

Maintain a Professional Online Presence

These days, it's practically impossible to succeed as an agent without a robust online presence. How a real estate agent appears online can make or break their success. Joining a large brokerage helps out quite a bit, as the brokerage already has strong branding and marketing materials for agents to benefit from.

Social media platforms help agents get better exposure, empower them to develop stronger relationships, and keep the brokerage team in the public eye. The National Association of REALTORS® reports that social media dominates modern real estate marketing. Their survey shows that 90% of agents use Facebook, 52% use Instagram, and 48% use LinkedIn for marketing and lead generation.

The key to a successful social media presence is to keep active—an abandoned profile does more harm than good.

Choose a Specialty

Clients tend to seek out people who are well-versed in what they want, regardless of product or service. Real estate isn't an exception. To establish a trusted reputation, choose a specialty and stick to it as closely as possible. The goal is to become the "go-to" person in a specific real estate area.

For instance, many agents specialize in a specific type of real estate and work primarily with vacation properties, condos, or investment properties (to name a few). This doesn't mean an agent can't dabble in multiple areas, but having a principal specialty will drive clients to agents who are highly knowledgeable about the types of properties they want to buy or sell.

Be Highly Responsive

One of the most significant benefits of working in real estate is working flexible hours—although it often means working nights, weekends, and holidays. While it's essential to establish a good work-life balance to avoid burnout, it's also vital to be highly responsive.

Clients don't like it when agents are not responsive in a timely fashion. Quick responses demonstrate good organization, attention to detail, and the capacity to show high consideration and care for clients. It's OK to set boundaries, but let clients know ahead of time about availability.

Become a Great Communicator

Ongoing development of communication skills is one of the most important habits for real estate agents. Responsiveness is only one part of the equation—the rest includes good listening skills, the ability to update clients with information, and express appreciation. It also helps to develop a penchant for quickly addressing client concerns, perhaps even before they realize they have them.

A communication strategy should also include maintaining relationships after the transaction is over. Doing so will preserve established relationships and earn referrals from these clients. There are plenty of easy and discreet ways to maintain content. For instance, send seasonal newsletters, offer free e-books, or send out helpful emails to clients about home ownership, decorating, or maintenance that they might find of interest.

Invest in Networking

Like any other industry, it's not about what you know but who you know. Agents with solid reputations didn't get that way by idly standing by waiting for clients to find them. Networking involves a fair amount of hustle and a willingness to go the extra mile to make connections.

Family and friends are a great place to start but plan to attend seminars, community events, and small business gatherings. Essentially, just talk to people everywhere, whether at the gym, coffee shop, or park. If someone has an electrical issue, recommend a good electrician.

Build a Reputation For Quality

The key to success is to steadily build a reputation – once that foundation is established, build upon it. Real estate agents who actively stay involved in their communities and preserve relationships will find the trust factor increases tenfold. Over time, they can become the "go-to" person everyone turns to for their real estate needs.

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Gary Ashton

The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage

The #1 RE/MAX team in the World!

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