For smaller agencies, a personal brand has never been more important. Here’s how to put it to work.

No doubt you’ve heard it before and will hear it again – the property market is all about relationships. Leads learn about you by visiting your listings on platforms, your website, reading your reviews and scrolling through your social media profiles. The most effective delivery mechanism for your brand is you and your team. For consumers to trust your brand, you’ll need to instil trust in yourself.

With that in mind, here are a few ways smaller agencies can make their personal branding work harder to convert precious leads.

Vendors chose an agent to sell their home because the agent listened to and understood their needs, according to the?Home Moving Trends Survey 2022. Second to that, the agents were courteous and professional, as well as knowledgeable and informative. Only 6% chose their agent solely on them offering the lowest fee. As a result, 94% put more weight on other factors.

This means that vendors aren’t always looking for the lowest bottom-line fee. Instead, they place more value on the service and communication from the agent. This shows that agents who?serve before selling?are strongly suited to the needs of vendors today.

This also means that prospecting letters, a good website, a strong social media presence and a good valuation will help to get your business noticed. Once again, well-timed, well-written?emails?and communications come into play.

As a smaller agency, you may not have the resources to run all of your digital channels optimally - and that's OK. Instead, you’ll need to be savvy about where you spend your time and bandwidth, selecting avenues that bring you the highest returns. The bonus about this point is that there isn’t a right answer. If your sphere is already following you on Instagram, dig in there. If you get more engagement on Facebook, keep at it. If your YouTube channel reigns success, double down on it. It’s all about what works best for you and where your leads live online.

Smaller agencies can benefit their business by staying visible to leads and clients by spending time among them in the community. Walk neighbourhoods to get to know the area, chat with other business owners and support the local community in ways that are attainable for you. Whether you volunteer, support events or spend time in the community, you’ll benefit your agency in more ways than you know.

Good branding humanises the company. When you share your story, you make it easier for leads and contacts to relate to you. Everyone’s background is different, but many can relate to a narrative that involves challenges, overcoming the odds and finding solutions. Your brand’s story should share a passion for the profession, how you conduct business and where you differentiate from the competition.

Even when the coffers are depleted, you should ensure you have resources put aside to invest in the business – and sometimes that means yourself. Don’t be afraid to spend a little when it can reap big rewards. From adopting time-saving technologies, hiring team members or enrolling in education, these investments can make all the difference in your overall success.