Episode 306: The Importance of Local Branding

In the 306th episode of Mail Right Show, hosts Jonathan Denwood and Robert Newman invited Tonya Eberhart and Michael Carr to talk about the importance of real estate agent’s effective local branding. Tonya Eberhart is the founder of BrandFace®, a personal branding firm consisting of a book series, speaking series, and unique branding program designed to help real estate agents differentiate themselves. She’s also the author of four books on personal branding. Tonya’s humble career began while selling vacuum cleaners door to door to pay her way through college. That led to a job in radio, where she observed local business owners who were featured in their advertising and positioned as local celebrities in the market. That’s when she realized the power that personal branding has on a business.

Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer and the Abundant Life Broker. During his 28 years of experience, he has been actively involved in over 78,000 transactions and licensed in as many as 31 states in the continental U.S. as a broker and an auctioneer. Michael first met Tonya in 2013 when he became a client. He immediately put her exclusive personal branding concepts to work at his brokerage. As a result, his real estate business quadrupled over the next year and continues to grow in recognition, revenue, and recruitment. On the heels of that success, they decided to co-author BrandFace® for Real Estate Professionals, which became the #1 international bestseller on Amazon. And today, he is a partner and the COO of BrandFace®.

Personal Branding – What Is It?

Personal branding is the act of promoting oneself to advance in one’s career or expand one’s business. Personal branding is essentially about developing a distinctive identity for oneself through images and voice style that you can use to establish and maintain a favorable professional reputation, connect with more prospects, build trust and loyalty, and complete more business.

In an age where everyone relies extensively on Google to conduct ongoing research on friends, coworkers, employers, and businesses, a solid personal brand can make all the difference when it comes to convincing someone that you are the right person to work with.

A solid personal brand is critical for real estate salespeople in particular. It’s nearly impossible to expand your business if no one in your local neighborhood remembers your name or who you are. Getting new customers without a good reputation backed up by real testimonials and regular referrals from satisfied consumers is exceedingly tricky.

You must establish a reputation for yourself and be proactive in maintaining and enhancing your brand.