Would you buy a property from you?

Charlotte Vermaak, principal of Chas Everitt Nelson Mandela Bay

And prospective customers might easily see something online or be part of a conversation where your name comes up. In today’s digital and connected world, you need to remember that people have an opportunity to make judgements about you, long before you meet.

While an individual's perceptions of you should be based on what you know rather than what you look like, most people form opinions about others when they first meet, based on their appearance, making your appearance a good place to start when building your brand.

Managing your personal brand through your physical appearance

Professional dress is critical. The way you “package” yourself sends a message about you, your skills and your organisation. You need to dress in a way that reflects what you want people to think of you. Dressing well does not mean spending thousands on designer clothes. It means wearing clothes that fit you well, for example, and carrying your notes and business cards in a file rather than an untidy pile.

Managing your brand through your introductions

The so-called “elevator pitch” is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what you do. You can also use it to create interest in a property or yourself. A good elevator pitch should last no longer than 20 to 30 seconds. It should be exciting, memorable, and succinct. And it needs to explain what makes you or your organisation unique.

If you’re having trouble creating your elevator pitch, go back to the basics. Why do you love real estate? People? Your town? Try to remember the reason you got into this field and the first sale you made. Use those emotions to drive your pitch.

Managing your personal brand through your online presence

Social media can be a very powerful tool to build your brand; it's easily shared via “likes”, “shares”, “retweets” and “endorsements”. The success of many real estate agents is based on ratings, and these ratings are visible to all. So take care to develop a personal profile on appropriate social media platforms, create a virtual portfolio of evidence of your successes and only post content that supports the brand you want to portray.

Above all, build your brand on your actual strengths.

As a real estate professional, your goal should always be to attract customers who identify with you and your abilities. The same skills you use to build friendships can be used to build trust with customers. People make decisions every day in the industry based on gut instinct, and people can sense insincerity.