Brand Experience Checklist for Brokers

One thing I can’t emphasize enough with our agents is that almost everything we do in our real estate role has the potential to affect people’s perceptions of our brand, both as a company and as individual agents.

Getting into a brand management mindset requires first understanding all the different ways in which you interact with key stakeholders at different points in a real estate transaction. I think checklists are a great way to make sure you’re aware of and addressing all the potential ways your brand may be experienced.

Some of the examples below are more relevant to listing brokers and others to brokers working on behalf of buyers, but most real estate professionals will have had some type of experience with all or most of these. The four primary stakeholders or audience for these brand experiences are:

• Real Estate Consumers (Sellers and Buyers)
• Other Real Estate Professionals (Most Importantly the Cooperating Brokers You Encounter on a Regular Basis in Your Market)
• Vendors  (The Key Service Providers – Bankers to Plumbers – Who Help Your Clients and In So Doing Enable You to Provide a Positive Brand Experience)
• The General Public (Folks Who May Not Be Actively Engaged Home Buyers or Sellers But Have Some Awareness of Your Brand. These People are Potential Referral Sources or Future Clients)

Where do these four key audiences most often experience your brand? (And where do you have the opportunity to enhance or diminish it)?

Point of Sale

• For Sale signs
• Sign riders
• Info boxes
• Pointer signs

Company/Agent Website

• Listing Photos
• Listing Videos
• Agent Profiles
• Community/Lifestyle Links
• Etc.

Listing Syndication

• Realtor.com
• Zillow/Trulia
• Etc.

Social Media

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Google Plus
• YouTube
• Tumblr
• Pinterest
• Houzz
• Etc.

Direct Mail and Email Communications

Print Advertising

Digital Advertising

Listing Presentations

Media Coverage and Blogs

Public Open Houses

Public Events and Sponsorships

Agent-To-Agent/Broker-To- Broker

• Broker Open Houses and Events
• Service on BOR, MLS and Other Committees
• Emails, texts, phone calls
• Broker Referrals

Vendors

• Estate and Auction Professionals
• Stagers
• Tradespeople (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, etc.)
• Home Inspectors
• Mortgage and Bank Professionals
• Relocation Companies
• Etc.

Transaction Experience

• Response to Inquiries (Phone, Email, Text, etc)
• Response to Showing Requests (Buyers)
• Communication with Clients (Buyers and Sellers)
• Communication with Cooperating Agents
• Conflict Resolution
• Thank You to Clients and Other Agents
• Closing Gifts

Community Engagement

• Financial commitment to community organizations
• Volunteer service on Non-Profit Boards and Committees
• Team building volunteer activities

Jay Gulick @jaybgulick is Managing Broker/Owner at Kentucky Select Properties in Louisville. https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile