the brand called you - cre broker guide to marketing yourself

By Ronald H. Cohen Chief Marketing Officer

The Besen Group

THE BRAND CALLED YOU: 10 Things a CRE Broker Can Do To Market

Yourself & Build Your Personal Brand

July 6, 2015

THE BRAND CALLED YOU “Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the age of the individual, you have to be your own brand. Here’s what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc.” By Tom Peters Fast Company, August/September 1997 http://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you

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So what exactly is a brand? American Marketing Association defines a brand as “A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark.” “A brand creates perceived value for consumers through its personality in a way that makes it stand out from other similar products. Its story is intricately intertwined with the public’s perception and consistently provides consumers with a secure sense that they know what they’re paying for. In a world where every individual is also a media entity, your consumers own your brand (as it always was).” Heidi Cohen, Riverside Marketing “Brand is the image people have of your company or product. It’s who people think you are.” Ann Handley, MarketingProfs, Author with C.C. Chapman of Content Rules “Brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organization. Branding is about shaping that perception.” Ashley Friedlein, Econsultancy

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Commercial real estate brokerage has become a crowded field.

What can you do to stand out?

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“It doesn’t matter what firm you’re with. There are too many real estate brokers in the city.

It all comes down to your personal brand.”

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Ryan Serhant, Nest Seekers International Quoted from The Real Deal, “Ranking Residential Royalty,” July 2015

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Blog

Press/media

Profile Past transactions

Pedigree

Appearance

Social presence Current listings

Knowledge Personality

Recommendations

Correspondence

What contributes to your brand?

What business are you in? Hint: S _ _ _ s

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People work with:

1. People 2. Companies

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A good business plan is supported by a good ________ _____.

Answer: marketing plan

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So here are 10 essential things you can do to market yourself as a CRE broker:

#1: Get Out There • There are a million networking opportunities

through various industry organizations, conferences and events

• Personal meetings: breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, office drop-by

• Secondary/personal networks: congregation, kid’s schools, family, friends, attorneys, other brokers

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#2: Exclusive Representation • An exclusive assignment is your best marketing

vehicle! – Gets your name out there – Controlled exposure via customized marketing plan – Reason to contact new people/door-opener – Draws buyers & future client prospects to you – Credibility

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#3: Be More Than Just a Broker

• Be an advisor, problem solver, partner – Greater opportunity beyond quick sale – May benefit by other services in our platform

(financing, asset management, leasing)

• Can guide them to other valuable resources – Legal, 1031 intermediary, replacement properties

“Client for life” mentality

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#4: Announce Your News*

• Whenever you have a new exclusive assignment or complete a sale – Press release – Targeted mailer – E-mail to your database of contacts

(Top 100)

• Social media

* Your marketing team will help create these things

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#5: Get Recommended • Ask a satisfied client to write you a letter of

recommendation – Include in future client proposals – Can draft if yourself and have them sign it

• LinkedIn recommendation – Can be easily seen by others

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#6: Something to Remember You By

• Send closing gifts, make it relevant • Send courting gifts • Deal toys (i.e. lucites) • Closing dinner • Holiday card/gift

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#7: Get Involved • Choose 1-2 organizations and

volunteer to be on the board – “Young Leadership” divisions

• Meet active industry players, establish presence

• Speaking opportunities – Present programs/panels – Moderate panel discussion

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#8: Distribute Your Content • Write an op-ed/expert article several

times per year – Pick a topic and write 300 words on it

• We’ll get it published in news outlets, company blog, Twitter (@besengroup), LinkedIn Company page

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Think of content as weapons in your arsenal.

Don’t go to battle unarmed.

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#9: Be Social • Social media is no longer just for socializing • LinkedIn is the killer app for B2B sales &

marketing – gotta be there – 350 million total users, 107 million US users – Valuable tool to prospect/assess people & companies – Platform to publish & market yourself

• Twitter is useful content platform as well – 300 monthly active users, 100 million daily – Can tweet your shared updates through LinkedIn

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Besen LinkedIn Company Page

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Besen Twitter Feed (@besengroup)

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#10: Be a Thought Leader • Be an expert on something

– Neighborhood, asset class, topic

• Educate your clients – News/legislation/industry

updates

• Publish content

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Each one of these can be a presentation unto itself.

There’s not enough hours in the

day to do everything.

Do something.

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Ronald H. Cohen Chief Marketing Officer The Besen Group (646) 424-5317 www.besengroup.com

rcohen@besengroup.com

www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldhcohen

@besengroup|@NYCRon126

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