Real Estate and Your Personal Brand

“When it comes to personal branding, how does a real estate agent’s marketing differ from that of a buyer’s advocate? Enjoy this insightful opinion piece from Infolio Property Buyer’s Advocate, Amelia Jack.

Recently, I attended a school information evening to learn about children and technology. The evening highlighted how – with the advent of social media – our children are unwittingly curating their own personal brand through their online presence. This gave me pause for thought – specifically about the increase in personal branding across the real estate industry. Of late, sales agents have begun looking for new and innovative ways to promote themselves as a brand within a brand.

In the Infolio Property Advisors office, we recently came across a YouTube clip made by a local agent. He recorded a snapshot of how he would like his average day to be perceived by the public. The key purpose of his role, he suggested, was to ensure that he got every last cent out of a purchaser for his client. He said that getting the most money for a property was important for two key reasons: firstly, because his job is to get the best price for his client – and secondly, because the more he makes for the client, the more he gets paid.

There’s nothing new here: what the agent suggests about his role is quite true. What is new is the frankness with which the agent is marketing his skill. He’s letting the audience know that he will achieve the highest price possible for a vendor. This is ideal if you’re selling a home – but where does this leave you?

We often meet with clients who tell us that they have a strong working relationship with the estate agents in the area they are looking. And it is quite likely they would have – exceptional people skills are at the heart of a great agent. However, it is worth remembering that agents are salespeople. Their job is to make you feel great about the experience of purchasing a property – and happy about handing over what may be the most significant amount of money you will ever pay in a single transaction.

As buyer’s advocates, we are not salespeople. In fact, we’re the very opposite of a salesperson. Our sole motivation is to help investors acquire property for market value – for what it is worth and not a cent over. Our remuneration does not go up should you pay more for a home, and we are not driven to get every dollar from our client.

When you engage Infolio Property Advisors to support your property purchase, you are working with a team dedicated to protecting you from pushy sales tacts. The brand Infolio cultivate is one of teamwork and trust. We are negotiating the best possible outcome for our client – the buyer. Regardless of how good you feel about your friend the estate agent – they’re ultimately not working for you.

As buyer’s advocates we interact with estate agents on a daily basis, as we are constantly in the market. Naturally, we have an informed view of agent’s character – beyond the image and brand they are trying to sell. This deep industry knowledge means we are able to achieve outstanding outcomes for buyers.

If you would like to step beyond the polished pitch and break through personal branding barriers, I suggest you chat with an Infolio Property Advisors buyer’s advocate – we’re here to help!