Does your real estate brokerage’s brand matter to clients? Do clients actually care about which brokerage you work for as a real estate agent?
These are questions that agents are asking as they look to the future of their careers. There are many factors that go into choosing a real estate brokerage, and the brand is something that a lot of agents consider.
There’s been a lot of discussion in the real estate industry about whether or not a real estate agent’s brokerage and its brand matters to their clients. Some people say that it doesn’t matter at all and that the only thing that matters is the agent’s ability to deliver results. Others believe that a strong brokerage-backed brand can make all the difference and that it can help an agent attract more leads and close more deals. So which side is right?
In this blog post, we will discuss how the real estate brokerage brand affects an agent’s career and whether or not it matters to clients. We will also discuss what agents can do to create a powerful personal brand that stands out from the competition.
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Defining what branding is and how it affects real estate agents
Branding is a marketing principle that implements the use of names, terms, designs, symbols, or other features to identify a product or service and distinguish a business from its competitors and counterparts.
In the real estate industry, branding is used to create an identity for a particular agent, team, brokerage, or agency. This identity can be conveyed through marketing materials such as style, colors, catchlines, themes, marketing mediums, website design, and even the property listings themselves.
By establishing a strong brand, real estate agents can make themselves more recognizable and memorable to potential clients, and as the term branding suggests, separate themselves from other competing agents.
Additionally, a well-defined brand can help to convey the unique strengths and advantages of a particular agent or agency. In today’s competitive market, real estate branding is a vital tool for agents to market themselves to clients.
What do clients think of when choosing an agent?
When clients are looking for an agent to help them buy or sell a home, they are usually looking for someone who is knowledgeable about the real estate market, but more importantly, they are looking for an agent that understands their specific needs and wants and an agent that they can trust.
Ultimately, clients want an agent who will make the process of buying or selling a home as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Real estate is a relationship business, and the number one thing that a client looks for in their agent is trust. They want to work with someone that they know can provide them honest value that no other agent in the market can.
As you probably know, there is definitely no shortage of real estate agents in the market today so simply “knowing real estate” is not a strong selling point for most agents if they want to work with clients outside of just their friends and family.
How to make sure your brand is attractive to clients
As a real estate agent, it’s important to make sure your brand is attractive to clients.
We mentioned earlier that real estate clients want to work with agents that they can trust. Therefore, you must brand yourself as being able to offer specific and additional value to just being an expert in real estate. You can do this by highlighting your Unique Selling Points (USPs).
Perhaps you have extensive experience in the luxury market and know how to handle high-end and expensive properties, or maybe you’re especially skilled at helping first-time homebuyers because you are knowledgeable about the different loans and programs for those looking to purchase their first home.
Whatever your USPs may be, make sure that you are incorporating that in your branding strategy as a real estate agent since your brand is essentially your main marketing message that you are sharing with your audience of potential clients.
Does your real estate brokerage’s brand matter to clients?
To answer this question simply: No, your clients do not care what brokerage you work at as an agent.
Any real estate agent will tell you that the most important part of their job is building relationships with clients. After all, buying or selling a home is a very personal process, and it’s important for clients to feel like they can trust their agent.
That’s why, when it comes to choosing a real estate brokerage, the brand of your brokerage doesn’t matter as much as each individual agent.
In other words, clients are more likely to work with an agent they know and trust, regardless of which brokerage they’re with.
Of course, there are some advantages to working with a well-known and respected brokerage. But at the end of the day, it’s the personal relationship between agent and client that matters most.
So, if you’re an agent thinking about switching brokerages, don’t worry too much about the effect it will have on your business in terms of consumer-facing branding. As long as you provide quality service and build strong relationships with your clients, they’ll continue to work with you, no matter which brokerage you choose.
How real estate brokerage brands affect your career as a real estate agent
Now that we’ve established that your brokerage and its brand does not matter to your clients and should not affect your marketing, I do want to point out that your real estate brokerage brand can have an effect on your overall business as an agent, mainly the backend of your business.
As a real estate agent, your career can be affected by the brokerage brand that you choose to align yourself with.
For example, a strong, global brand can give you a major advantage when it comes to getting referrals from other agents whether if that may be with agents within your company or in other companies in other areas. This is because most global real estate brands make it very easy for agents to trade referrals with each other within their own company and also allow their agents to trade referrals with agents and brokers outside of their company.
For example, the real estate brokerage that I am with, eXp Realty, gives agents access to a business referral sharing platform called Workplace where agents can send and receive referrals in all 50 states in the US and over 20 different countries outside of the US.
This is extremely beneficial for real estate agents, especially those who work with foreign investors or relocation clients that are either moving to or from your market.
If a client is listing their home with you and moving to a new state, then they are probably going to be looking to buy a house in that state. As an agent with a large network of potential referral partners in literally every MLS of the continental US and 20 additional countries, you can benefit from your client’s second transaction by referring them to another agent in the state they are relocating to and earn a 25% referral fee of their commission.
The same applies if a client is working with you as a buyer who is looking to sell their old house in their previous state or city.
Want to build a real estate business that generates 1-2 clients a week with ZERO cold calling or paid ads? Click below to learn how you can get access to free trainings, assets, resources, systems, and tools by partnering your business with our group of agents around the world!
The future of branding in the real estate industry
Now that you understand the role that a real estate brokerage’s brand plays in an agent’s business, I want to share my personal opinion on where I see the future of real estate branding is headed for agents.
I believe that the future of real estate branding for agents is going to be more focused on the individual agent and less on the brokerage, where the brokerage’s job is to provide the agent with the best tools, systems, and platforms to create their own marketing and leverage those tools to help create a brand for themselves.
As I mentioned earlier, clients work with agents they know and trust, not necessarily because of the brokerage brand. And as technology continues to evolve, it’s becoming easier for agents to build their own personal brands independent of their brokerages.
For example, an agent can now create their own website, blog, and social media accounts without any help from their brokerage. And there are many companies that offer branded marketing materials specifically for real estate agents, such as business cards, yard signs, and even car wraps.
In my opinion, in the future, a real estate agent’s brand and marketing will be completely separate and independent of their brokerage. Since real estate agents are business owners of their own and are responsible for creating their own business and opportunities, agents need to be learning how to market themselves as individuals instead of relying on their brokerage.
Instead, the successful real estate agents of the future will leverage the platform that their brokerage offers them to either create an independent real estate brand of their own that they can carry with them or enhance their existing brand.
Does it matter what brokerage you work at as a real estate agent?
In today’s real estate market, some agents believe that it doesn’t matter what brokerage they work at. This is especially true for top agents who have either been in the business for a long time or are selling a lot of real estate through their own branding and marketing efforts.
Although agents need to be self-reliant as business owners, it does still make a difference in your business which brokerage you work at, especially if you want to build a sustainable business in real estate.
Some brokerages are better than others at giving their agents the freedom and flexibility to create a strong brand. So, if you’re looking to build a successful real estate career, it’s important to choose a brokerage that will support you and gives you the tools to either build a brand from scratch or enhance your current brand.
Working at the right real estate brokerage gives agents the platform they need to create and cultivate their brand. From creating a custom website to using the brokerage’s marketing resources, agents have a lot of control over how they present themselves to potential clients.
For example, most franchise real estate brokerages only offer agents a pre-branded website with limited customizability while other global independent brands give agents access to third-party real estate website providers through partnerships that allow agents to build their own fully customized website that reflects their branding message.
What should real estate agents look for in a brokerage?
When it comes to looking for a brokerage as a real estate agent whether if you are a new agent or an experienced agent looking for a change, you should look for a brokerage that gives you the platform that can best assist you in building a business of your own.
This of choosing a brokerage as an agent like a business owner choosing a franchise to open.
When business owner purchases a franchise, they are buying into systems and resources that can help them run a successful business on their own. The franchise can not run the business for you, but it can give you the tools you need to succeed on your own.
As an agent, you are also an independent business owner and must adopt the same mindset. Instead of looking for ways that a brokerage can give you business, look for a brokerage that can offer you the best tools, assets, systems, resources, and training that can help you build your own business that is independent of the brokerage.
Instead of looking for a brokerage that gives you leads, look for a brokerage that teaches you how to generate leads. Instead of looking for a brokerage with a brand that you can use, look for a brokerage that teaches you how to create, cultivate, enhance, and market your own unique brand.
As a final note, I should point out that if you are the owner of a real estate brokerage that wants to attract agents in today’s market, it would be wise to remember this famous proverb:
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to choosing a real estate brokerage as an agent, it’s important to look for a company that gives you the tools and resources needed to build your own business. This includes finding a brokerage that offers you a platform to create or enhance your own brand.
In today’s market, the most successful agents are the ones that can create opportunities and business for themselves through their brand, their own marketing, and their own authentic message.
Want to build a real estate business that generates 1-2 clients a week with ZERO cold calling or paid ads? Click below to learn how you can get access to free trainings, assets, resources, systems, and tools by partnering your business with our group of agents around the world!
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Certainly! This article delves into various aspects of real estate brokerage brands and their impact on agents and clients. It covers several fundamental concepts relevant to the real estate industry and branding principles. Let's break down the key concepts discussed:
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Branding in Real Estate:
- Branding in real estate involves creating an identity for an agent, team, or brokerage using various marketing elements like design, slogans, colors, and online presence.
- Establishing a strong brand helps agents differentiate themselves, become recognizable, and convey unique strengths to potential clients.
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Client Perspective on Agents:
- Clients seek knowledgeable agents who understand their specific needs, wants, and, most importantly, can be trusted to navigate the real estate process smoothly.
- Trust and the ability to provide unique value beyond mere real estate expertise are crucial for agents to attract clients.
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Building an Attractive Brand:
- Highlighting Unique Selling Points (USPs) is essential for agents to differentiate themselves and attract clients.
- Incorporating these USPs into the branding strategy helps agents stand out in a competitive market.
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Impact of Brokerage Brands on Clients:
- Clients prioritize the relationship with the individual agent over the brokerage brand.
- While a well-known brokerage might offer advantages, the personal relationship between agent and client remains paramount.
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Brokerage Brand and Agent's Career:
- The brokerage's brand can impact an agent's business backend, especially in terms of referrals and networking opportunities.
- Some brokerages offer platforms for agents to share referrals globally, enhancing their business prospects.
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Future Trends in Real Estate Branding:
- The future of real estate branding seems to shift towards individual agent focus rather than being heavily reliant on the brokerage brand.
- Agents are expected to build their personal brands independently, leveraging brokerage tools and platforms.
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Choosing the Right Brokerage:
- Agents should seek brokerages that provide tools, systems, resources, and training to help them build their own independent businesses.
- Instead of relying on the brokerage for leads or a brand, agents should aim for brokerages that empower them to generate leads and cultivate their unique brand.
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Brokerage's Role in Agent Development:
- The brokerage's role should resemble teaching agents how to fish rather than just providing them with fish, empowering them to sustain their business independently.
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Final Recommendations for Agents:
- Agents should look for brokerages that offer platforms to create/enhance personal brands and enable independent business development.
- Success in the current market is tied to an agent's ability to generate business through their brand, marketing efforts, and authentic messaging.
These concepts touch upon the significance of branding, client-agent relationships, brokerage impacts, future trends, and the importance of agents' self-reliance and brand development in the real estate industry.
