branding » Technology Tools for Real Estate

Human beings are visual creatures. We remember what we see, which is why we’ve all had the experience of meeting someone we knew but being unable to recall their name. Pictures and images stay with us even when words and information don’t

That’s why your social networking profiles should all include a good photo of yourself.

A good photo jogs the memory of people who’ve met you before.
A good photo gives your profile a human touch.
A good photo makes it more likely that a stranger will want to know you or work with you.
A good photo says, “I’m confident, I’m knowledgeable, and I’m good at what I do.”

You’ll need to decide if you want to use the same photo on all social networking sites. Having the same photo creates consistency and helps you build your brand. But a photo that is too stuffy on Facebook or too casual on LinkedIn may look out of place. So if you’re using only one photo, create something that’s business casual but that clearly communicates who you are and what you’re about.

What Makes a Good Personal Photo

Your photo should be relatively current, not something taken years ago
Use a cropped, centered headshot
Don’t include photos of your dog, your children, your home or anything else—save those for your Photo Album
Face mostly forward in the shot so people can recognize you
Make sure the photo is well-lit to give it a more professional look
If you’re using a camera phone, it should be 3 megapixels or better
Have someone take the photo for you and/or use cropping tools to get it just right
Smile

Your brand is the image of yourself that you promote to the world.

It used to be difficult–if not impossible–for an agent to establish a personal brand. You had to have lots of money and lots of time. Money was needed to create publication pieces or to run ads in newspapers. Time was needed to create, stuff, stamp, mail or deliver printed material to your potential audience. Because it was hard to do, agents seldom did it well, relying instead on their brokerages to promote the corporate brand.

Web 2.0 with its interactive tools has changed all that. Now anyone with access to the Internet can create an online identity and manager their own brand. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and every agent ought to be doing it.

Decide Who You Want to Be

Are you quirky? Funny? Silly? Serious? Are you a consummate real estate professional who dots every “i” and crosses every “t”? You get to decide how others will see you. You choose the words and the images that best describe you. You craft a version of yourself that lets potential clients know who you are and what sets you apart from other agents. Just always be careful that every word you write and every picture you upload is consistent with the professional image you want to portray.

Decide Which Tools to Use

You can build profiles on social networking sites. You can write blogs or post micro-blogs. You can create podcasts or videos. You can self-publish books and online newsletters. The Internet makes all this possible at little or no cost.

These new tools combined with the “old school” tried-and-true methods of building your business (e.g., phone calling, networking, farming, conducting open houses) can give you a powerful edge over agents who haven’t mastered the new technology.

Get the Word Out

Once you’ve begun to craft your online image, let people know about it. Connect with family and friends online. Use networking cites to find lost friends and classmates. Join online and in-person groups. Reference your online presence on your business card and tell people about it when you talk to them.

This part still takes time, but it’s easier than it used to be because the Internet speaks for you. It gives people a more complete picture of what you do and how you do it than was ever possible before.