In March’s Advertising and Branding Month, we’ll go deep on agent branding and greatest practices for spending with Zillow, Realtor.com and extra. High CMOs of main corporations drop by to share their latest ways, too. And to high off this theme month, Inman is debuting a model new set of awards for branding and advertising and marketing leaders within the business known as Advertising All-Stars.

Creating a content material plan to your actual property enterprise means optimizing a bunch of on-line and real-world platforms. In our Content material Advertising Gameplan, we carry you the foundations to make use of to generate 5 several types of foundational content material: your web site, bio, weblog, PR and self-published guide.

One of many foundational items of content material that each actual property skilled wants is a well-written, up-to-date bio. You should utilize it in quite a lot of methods on quite a lot of advertising and marketing platforms to construct credibility for your online business.

As somebody who writes a number of actual property bios, I do know that that is the one piece of writing folks fear about (and complain about) most. It’s additionally the one piece of writing that, performed effectively, could make an enormous distinction in the best way you see your self — and the best way others see you as effectively. Right here’s the best way to create a bio you’ll love.

The place are you in your profession?

The scope and scale of your bio relies upon, partially, on the place you’re in your profession.

New agent

In the event you’re a brand new agent, you’re most likely involved about what you’ll write because you don’t have a lot expertise. On this case, you possibly can lean in your brokerage’s popularity so as to add to your credibility and spotlight your prior skilled or tutorial accomplishments till you additional develop your profession.

Established agent

At this level, you’ll have some transactions below your belt and should have some certifications and designations as effectively. In the event you’ve began to determine a distinct segment to your actual property enterprise, you’ll need to dedicate a part of your bio to describing your {qualifications} and the way you serve that market section.

All-star agent

In the event you’re a high producer, you’ll want a bio that helps you stand out. Honors and awards will go right here, together with superior coaching. You’ll most likely have some pretty spectacular numbers to share, so embrace your efficiency stats.

The place will you employ your bio?

You’ll all the time discover locations to make use of your bio, particularly you probably have a number of variations to select from. Listed below are among the prospects.

In your web site

One of many locations you’ll undoubtedly need to use your bio is on the About Me web page of your web site. In the event you’re a longtime or all-star agent who has been featured within the media, you might need to use a Q&A or interview both instead of your bio or prominently linked. 

When you’ve got a video bio or have been featured in a podcast or TV present, you would possibly need to embed any of those in your web site as effectively, both instead of or along with a written model.

In your social media platforms

Most of your social media platforms embrace a spot for a brief bio and lots of permit you the aptitude to pin a video model on the high of your feed. As well as, you possibly can hyperlink out to the About Me web page at your web site for individuals who are linking for much more complete data.

In your advertising and marketing collateral

A brief bio is a superb concept on flyers, postcards and different advertising and marketing supplies. Embrace it on the backside of your e-mail blasts or direct mailers so that you simply remind folks about your {qualifications}. 

In the event you conduct coaching occasions, serve on committees on the native affiliation or converse every so often, you’ll desire a model of your bio that’s helpful for transient intros, assembly agendas or different supplies. 

What must you embrace in your bio?

While you’re gathering data for writing your bio, listed here are among the parts to consider:

• Your title
• Your group and/or brokerage title
• Licensure data
• Certifications and designations
• Awards and honors
• Markets served
• Excellent statistics
• Niches and areas of specialization
• Schooling and related prior skilled expertise
• Quotes from opinions and testimonials
• Household and private data like hobbies and pursuits (for those who determine to incorporate them)

Some folks discover it troublesome to put in writing about themselves and don’t notice how a lot they’ve achieved. Take into account sitting down with a trusted pal or colleague to speak about your profession so far and see what takeaways they discover most attention-grabbing and compelling, then spotlight these in your bio.

Typically, we fail to contemplate how far we’ve are available in an expert sense. In the event you’re a longtime or all-star agent, just be sure you be aware of the place you are actually and that your bio displays your present-day standing.

EXTRA: In search of real-world examples of nice agent bios? Try these:

What else must you be mindful when writing a bio?

Writing a bio could really feel intimidating, however there are a variety of issues you are able to do to make sure that the laborious work is worth it:

• When you’ve written your bio, flip it into a number of variations just by creating each lengthy and brief variations in first and third particular person. First-person is extra informal and works effectively for social media or an About Me web page. Third-person is extra formal and works effectively for advertising and marketing collateral or introductions.
• Get previous the worry of sounding “smug” or overly salesy together with your bio. Outlining your accomplishments isn’t the identical as bragging — it’s merely giving folks the data they’re searching for to make sure that you’re certified to assist them.
• Revisit your bio ceaselessly, particularly when there are modifications in your online business or once you’ve achieved one thing noteworthy. In the event you’re a longtime or all-star agent, maintain it up to date with awards and new certifications and designations as you earn them. Your bio needs to be a dwelling doc that precisely displays your skilled progress.
• Longer doesn’t all the time imply higher on the subject of your bio. Among the most achieved brokers within the business don’t have overly lengthy bios. They’ve brief bios that present a snapshot of their most spectacular accomplishments.
• Keep away from pat phrases and generic platitudes. Everybody listens. Everybody cares. Everybody helps. Make your bio extra attention-grabbing and significant by focusing in your differentiators and on what you do, not simply what you are feeling.
• Don’t consider your bio as a gross sales piece. Consider it as a software to strengthen and nurture leads — a solution to persuade people who find themselves already conscious of you that you simply’re the suitable particular person for his or her actual property wants.

In case your bio isn’t excellent but, maintain working at it. The extra you rewrite and collect enter, the nearer every iteration will get to your ideally suited model.