Here's how you can establish a strong personal brand in commercial real estate as a mid-career professional.

- Understand what you want to be known for (where do you work, who do you serve, your why, and how you’re different) - Share white papers, research reports, or stats to solidify being the expert in your market / area - Share insights for others to learn from - specifically those you’re trying to work with - Engage with those you’re looking to connect with

To start, focus on being directionally correct. Map out a plan, start publishing your thoughts and experience, listen to feedback, and adjust as you go. Don't overthink it at this point. Pick something and go for it. You can always adjust.

Start by explicitly outlining your personal branding objectives. Reflect on what you aim to establish as your reputation within the commercial real estate sector. Is it centered around your proficiency in a particular market niche, like retail or industrial properties? Alternatively, could it be founded on your inventive methods in financing and investment tactics?

Establishing a strong personal brand in commercial real estate requires defining your area of expertise, showcasing creative financing and investment solutions, keeping consistent communication across channels, emphasising a client-centric approach, and embracing continuous learning.

I would suggest: Content creation: Establish yourself as a thought leader by creating informative content. This could be blog posts on industry trends, webinars on relevant topics, or social media posts with insights and market updates. Speaking engagements: Look for opportunities to speak at industry conferences or local events. This allows you to share your expertise with a wider audience and build your credibility.

Network with those you can build partnerships with to increase exposure and those who would be considered your target audience. If you niche down you will find you may be the only person who helps that specific market demographic making you the go to expert and authority on the matter.

If you are hosting a networking event, spend time curating who you want to be there and why. Think: Will attendees businesses align? Do attendees already know each other? Are the attendees competitors? Is this a new group of attendees or the same attendees as last time? Some time thinking about the room you want to create goes a long way to maximizing the value of the networking.

Posting content online is the best way to grow your personal brand, become a thought leader, and increase your long-term value in the marketplace. There's a reason why people with large followings do more deals, raise more money, and earn more money than people that don't. Your online presence is your modern resume. Treat it as such.

In my humble experience, not all contents are created equal. Contents that are trying to sell something or self promotion has very little value. On contrary, contents that are educational or add value to others are more well received and gain a lot of engagements. There is no fixed rules but a process of self-discovery of what works and what doesn’t. Find out what resonates with your audiences and continue to share your thoughts or summary of an article etc.

Make a good online impression in the commercial real estate industry by starting a blog or professional website and sharing your knowledge on social media sites like LinkedIn. For continued relevance and credibility, sustain engagement with a variety of content, promote conversation, and adjust to changes in the industry.

Focus on Building Trust Trust is crucial if you want to establish a strong personal brand. Make sure you're consistently delivering results, following up on your promises, and treating everyone with the respect they deserve.

I didn’t realize this until recently. Having an online presence, especially on LinkedIn will help you reach the people you want to reach. It’s tough, but you’ll be amazed at the natural content you can create if you’re looking to help others while doing it.

Post original content on LinkedIn that demonstrates your insights and expertise. If you're not sure where to start, begin by sharing your insights on industry trends, discussing your successes, and providing practical advice.

It's about more than just sharing insights; it's about infusing your unique perspective into the discourse surrounding trends and challenges. Whether through the written word, speaking engagements, or virtual gatherings, your goal is to illuminate pathways forward, showcasing that you're not merely an observer but a visionary architect of change. By delivering substantive content, you transcend the role of a participant, ascending to the ranks of a forward-thinking luminary whose guidance and innovation shape the future trajectory of the industry. Thought leadership isn't just a badge of honor; it's a catalyst for cementing your personal brand as a cornerstone of expertise and influence.

Some other people I’ve already said it on this but post original content. You can’t take someone further than where you’re at now. Which is fine, it will just help you narrow down your audience. Being a thought leader also requires you to follow someone who’s just ahead of you.

Consistency wins, period. Rather than trying to "go viral" or be inauthentic just go gain attention, publish content that aligns with your values, interests, and skills. Take risk and put yourself out there, but stay true to you. There's nothing worse than building a personal brand that's not truly personal.

Always come back to your client, never leave them hanging in the wind. If you are busy then good clients will appreciate you and give you the opportunity to come back to them within a reasonable time. But, make sure you get back to them. Communication is key to a long standing relationship with a client.

This is something that takes a while to remember to do, but once you have a system in place, it’s super simple. Create content for those around you while including people you’ve met with and contact them as often as is appropriate.

Picking a market or sub-market and knowing it inside out will help differentiate you. More broadly it will also mean people will seek to involve you or ask your view if their work involves this specific market. Be generous with your knowledge and this will mark you out as someone they need to have on their team

Focus, focus, focus. Pick an area and topic to become the expert on. Let it be related to every research article you write, panel you speak at, event you attend, and organization you work with. Soon enough you become part of that ecosystem, a thought leader, and someone who can be relied on for their deep knowledge. Many are generalists, few are specialists.

Staying educated on the latest trends is super important. Spend time each day/week reviewing content from your peers or competition to see what's working well. Draw inspiration from those posts and make your own versions of them. You'll be glad you did.

While the basics are forever the foundation, being curious and leaning into new ideas and most importantly knowing who you are right now, right here in CRE is critical. Have you ever attended an event and it seemed like everything discussed was a great idea, yet a few weeks later, nothing really changed in your life or biz? It’s because there was no plan or accountability afterwards. Imagine how much you’d accomplish with an accountability coach! That’s what I did and it changed my life!

Adopt new tools and technologies to help you achieve your goals. Show that you're adaptable and forward-thinking. Remember, building a personal brand takes time and effort, but it's worth it. So start now, and establish yourself as a leader in commercial real estate.

Everything in this article talks about branding your internet activity, or your social contacts, or other non-tangible things. The number 1 concern of any real estate management professional who wants to have a brand (assuming a positive brand image is preferable) is good service, clean and well kept property, with responsive service during emergencies like broken AC in the summer or broken water heaters, etc (stuff will happen) The NUMBER ONE thing to consider is what your tenants think of your character, your ethics, and your morals. Everything else will fall into place if people enjoy renting from you and they respect your efforts.