How to build a brand in a time of crisis

Many of our clients are wondering what the next steps should be for their business and it’s led to powerful discussions. After having many of these conversations, we wanted to share some of the best takeaways with the industry at large, in hopes these tips help you stay in the game during this delicate time.

“…We have taken this time to enhance our digital presence which allows us to softly touch our clients on a regular basis, so they know we are here for them whenever they need. This has paid dividends as we have already heard from many past clients wanting to jump back into the market.” – Dolly Lenz, CEO/Founder, Dolly Lenz Real Estate LLC

The world feels a little uncertain right now, what should agents think about in regard to their business during this time?

While it can feel like right now is a good time to sit back and be quiet, the opposite is true. Both new and experienced agents should think about your branding. You aren’t promoting listings, but you are still promoting yourself. You might actually have the gift of time. So now is the time to build your brand and boost your online marketing. This isn’t a permanent state, so you need to be doing what you can to ensure that when this is over, you’re set up to hit the ground running.

“Your online presence and engagement are more important than ever.” – Kofi Nartey, National Dir. Sports & Entertainment Division, Celebrity & Luxury Homes and Development, The Nartey Group

Let’s start with newer agents. What’s the plan?

Now is the perfect time to do an audit of your brand. The first step is Google yourself and evaluate the image of your business online. Your image needs to express who you are right now, what your business is, and how you treat your clients. If that picture isn’t there or if it’s not the best possible representation, then you need to find the missing piece and fill it. Once you know where you stand in a Google search, you can assess where you are in your marketing plan.

If you’re starting from scratch in digital marketing, now is a great time to get a team behind you. Find agents you admire and use them as inspiration. Research website providers and find the ones with a beautiful portfolio that offer you full ownership of your website. Work with a social media coach to craft a plan to ensure you are showing the best of your business and the best of you as a person. You are your brand, so make sure it comes across authentic and not manufactured. Get a team behind you that is dedicated to creating a robust strategy that is scalable as your business grows.

“Now more than ever we all are identifying as people outside of our profession. What I want to show is the other side of my brand, my family is my identity, it’s my motivation. So I have shifted to what is true to me.” – Brandi Pratt, President of BP Real Estate, Inc

What about more established agents?

For those agents with some marketing behind you, a brand audit can still be a great starting point to ensure your marketing is up to date. Make sure your social media accounts present you as someone who looks reliable and experienced. Make sure your website represents you in the best way possible and it’s set up for the times. More people are home, browsing online and dreaming of their next move. Create video tours of your listings and link all of your social media.

“This is the absolute time to throw kerosene on the fire! So much market share is up for grabs, it’s insane. I have 10X’d my social presence, being the knowledge broker, and planting my flag solidly in my selected markets.” – Roh Habibi, Global Real Estate Portfolio Manager – Golden Gate | Sotheby’s International Realty

For those of you with a consistent brand, a beautiful website and strong social media presence, now is the time to bulk up. I know your instinct may be to cut back, but my most successful clients come to me at times like this and tell me they want to invest in their marketing strategy. If you have high brand awareness, the last thing you want to do is cut your efforts and lose that value. That will only lead to you falling behind once this is over.

Now is the time to dig in so that you come out on top and you’re not playing catch up when the dust settles.