Why Real Estate Brokers Need Personal Brand Platforms Now More Than Ever Before

This is the time to rethink your personal brand’s identity and purpose to better serve your local and global clients in this post-pandemic landscape.

We have yet to witness the longview of how post-pandemic volatility will affect markets. But little doubt, there will never be such a decisive moment for personal branding again in our lifetime. With so many empty spaces in our cities, from retail to residential to office buildings, and an invigorated interest in living and working outside of the metropolis, the smartest brokers are getting ahead of the moment by relearning their target and reassessing their own position and value. 

If you’re a real estate broker, it has never been more important for you to get ahead of this moment by tailoring your brand to the new real estate target markets created by post-pandemic global realities. This is the time to rethink your personal brand’s identity and purpose to better serve your local and global clients in this post-pandemic landscape. 

Repositioning your personal brand in the post-pandemic real estate era means reevaluating  everything you knew about the market, and also reimagining how to market and rebrand yourself. It’s not enough anymore to know the best deal on Classic Sixes north of 59th between Fifth and Lex. It’s not enough to sell Brooklyn to a hedge-funder. Rather, where is gentrified West Harlem headed in a downmarket? What happens when the young professionals who commandeered the Lower East Side over the last decade begin to outgrow it in another ten years, looking instead for bigger spaces with better schools to start families? Will there be another set of like demographics to replace them, or will that generation be the first whose careers actually begin by working remotely? You should be blogging and vlogging about industry trends, launching a podcast about listings, changing neighborhoods, and even your own personal interests. We are living through a stark, merciless new reality. People want to connect viscerally right now as much as possible.This is the moment to promote your brand in an intimate way so you connect more memorably and efficiently with your clients and prospects. Feeling like you are the broker they know will make you the broker they trust.

Remember, your buyers and renters are increasingly virtual now. You should have a stronger virtual presence too. In addition, you want to dig deeper into your connection with prospects in order to compensate for the intimacy and trust that may not easily transmit remotely. If schools are a deal-maker with a large contingent of your projects, research the subject and blog about it. If nightlife and dining out are big with another set, do the same. Know your clients and prospects, know what they want before they do. And be flexible --  you should be ready to pivot the moment market winds suddenly change directions. We’ve seen it happen over time in New York City before: 15 years ago downtown moved to Brooklyn and uptown moved downtown. The outer-boroughs gentrified and niche communities like Chelsea and the East Village turned into West Midtown and South Harlem. In the post-pandemic era, the changes could be even more unpredictable -- and happen even faster. Some businesses that anchored their neighborhoods and cultures for decades, like bars, restaurants, theaters and cafes, may not return when it’s safe to go outside again. As a real estate broker, what remains is largely up to the leaders of this new industry Zeitgeist. The moment is for taking. Could this be the time to take the road less traveled by? It could make all the difference. 

For more information about establishing or repurposing your personal brand online and through social media, reach out to info@universaladmedia.com