Last week, I talked about How to Add Life to Your MLS Description. 🥱

Potential buyers are flipping through many listings, and just like most everyone else in our fast-paced world, they have short attention spans. 

To catch their attention, Step #1 is to have exceptional images. Step #2 is getting straight to the point and describing the property’s best features, preferably in the first sentence of your MLS description.

This philosophy is remarkably similar to how you should present yourself on your website. Ask yourself this simple question:

Does your website clearly articulate WHO you are, WHAT you stand for, and WHY your potential client should hire you?

If not, perhaps you should reconsider the design of your website. 🤔

Here’s another simple question:

What is the most important part of your website?

It’s the part at the top of your home page that is immediately visible when the user first lands there. 

This is where you should have two things:

1. A current awesome image of yourself 😁 and;
2. Your Personal Brand Statement.

Your Personal Brand Statement should briefly answer all the key who, what, and why questions I listed above. Here’s mine from when I was a full-time agent:

“Hi, I’m Ted. Over the past 14 years, I’ve completed over 1,000 successful Real Estate transactions, one at a time, with care and concern to create the best possible result for each individual client. That’s why I’m proud to say that almost all my business comes from repeats and referrals.”

It’s only 50 words, but it says a lot, right? Here’s another one I did for Suzy Seller. She’s the brilliant made-up agent I use throughout the Agent Skills Master’s Program:

“Hi, I’m Suzy. For over ten years, I’ve continually improved my knowledge and skills, providing the best possible expert advice and service to each of my clients. As a result, I’m proud and honored that the majority of my business comes from my past clients referring their friends and family. If you’re looking for straightforward, honest Real Estate advice, please contact me.”

That’s 62 words, still within the size range (50-75 words) that I recommend. Then, your site should have a “Learn More” button immediately below that links to your About Us page, where the reader can learn more details about you and your team.

I’ve made Personal Brand Statements for other agents. Each one is unique because it has to honestly reflect your personality and contain the subtle but powerful message you want to get across. Most importantly, it must answer those key “who, what, and why” questions.

The #1 Mistake Agents Make on Their Website

The biggest mistake I see most agents make on their website is wasting that prime space at the top of the home page on one of these two things:

1. A stock image of a happy couple/cool kitchen/fancy exterior. It looks nice, but who cares? This is like paying for a TV commercial and wasting the first 15 seconds showing pretty pictures of things that have nothing to do with the product you are selling (you).
2. A search tool. OK, if you’re going to spend piles of money on generating terrible Internet leads, go ahead. But that’s the antithesis of what I teach. Honestly, why are you even reading this? 🤪

Your website should be the place that people go to find out about you. 

If your current website isn’t performing this primary function, watch for Agent Skills Websites, coming soon, including your own Personal Brand Statement carefully hand-crafted to your satisfaction by yours truly!

We’re still in development, and it will still be a few weeks before we’re ready to launch. But if you’re interested, simply reply to this email, and I’ll keep you informed.

Having a powerful website that describes who you are, what you stand for, and why clients should hire you is one important way to build a business that thrives on a never-ending stream of incoming referrals— the foundational doctrine of the Agent Skills Master’s Program.

This article was inspired by module #13 – Marketing Yourself – part of the Agent Skills Master’s Program. 

In ‘Marketing Yourself,’ I explain step-by-step how to create a simple but highly effective website, write a powerful personal brand statement, get and leverage testimonials, and create a powerful strategy to maximize the benefits of both organic and paid social media.

Here’s another article inspired by the same module: The HUB of Your Marketing