In the real estate industry, standing out from the crowd isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. At a recent YPN breakfast event, a panel of Chicagoland REALTORS® shared their secrets on branding and marketing.
Meet the panel here.
Brandon
blankenship
Keller Williams Premiere Properties
Rubina Bokhari
President of Rubina Bokhari Luxury Group | COMPA
Skyler lemons
Down Payment Grant King | Exit Strategy Realty
Let’s dive into their wisdom and explore how you can elevate your real estate game.
The Power of Authenticity: How to create YOUR Brand
Rubina Bokhari of COMPASS emphasized the importance of staying true to yourself. “Authenticity takes you far,” she noted. “People can see through if you’re fake.”
In a world of polished Instagram feeds and carefully curated personas, Rubina prefers a genuine approach. As a self-identified foodie, she takes her clients to nice restaurants and favorite food spots. Her love of food opens up a commonality or possibility for connection. She advises finding your passion and marketing around that, whether it’s a specific neighborhood, property type or client demographic.
Create Memorable Experiences
Rubina’s approach to client events is nothing short of spectacular. From themed parties to intimate chef’s tastings, she creates experiences that clients remember—and talk about. “If you send them a postcard, they’re not going to remember you,” she explains. “But if you do something meaningful, they will remember.”
Your brand is more than a logo and color palette. Remember that your customers experience your brand as well!
If client events are outside your budget or too intimidating, Rubina recommends partnering with a lender. Then, when you send out invites, don’t forget to ask your past clients or contacts to bring a friend. If the event has been curated for your audience’s interests and is authentic to what you also enjoy, it won’t feel awkward.
Niche Down to Scale Up
Skyler Lemons, known as the “Down Payment Grant King,” found his success by zeroing in on a specific client need. He shared, “Once I got very clear [on my target client], that’s really when everything opened up.”
By focusing on first-time homebuyers who need down payment assistance, Skyler has built a thriving business and a strong social media following.
How did he do it? He interviewed lenders and studied loan options and downpayment programs. He got organized and became an expert, and then he started talking about it online. As you turn to your own niche, ask yourself what your target client cares about. How can you be an expert that they would be interested in working with?
Be the Local Expert
Brandon Blankenship of Keller Williams Premiere Properties has built his brand around being the go-to expert for Chicago’s suburbs. He’s created a social media presence that explores suburban living, attracting followers who are potential clients. His advice? “Romanticizing where you live is great.” By showcasing local businesses and lifestyle perks, you position yourself as the area expert.
When he noticed that a lot of the online hype for food and lifestyle was centered around the city neighborhoods, he saw an opportunity to fill a content gap. When he gives gifts, they’re often food gift cards. He also makes sure he posts once a month about the restaurants and food he’s excited about.
How are you using your local expertise in your online presence? If you love your neighborhood, talk about it!
Consistency is Key
All three panelists stressed the importance of consistency in your marketing efforts. As Brandon put it, “It’s all about reps.” Whether you’re posting on social media, hosting events or networking, regular, consistent effort is what builds a strong brand over time.
For branding and marketing, how do these REALTORS® stay in touch with people after the first message? They recognize that the homebuying or selling experience should not be a one-and-done transaction; each of them set up ways to maintain relationships over a multi-year span. “Be social on social,” Brandon said.
As you look at your brand presence, either online or within your CRM of contacts, how are you creating touchpoints with each person? Try to pick a couple tactics that feel natural and sustainable, like interactions through social media, letters, holiday gifts, client events, et cetera.
Leverage Technology Wisely
Rubina uses her team’s tech skills to her advantage. As someone who does not enjoy posting on social media or diving into the operations of technology, she delegates tasks like CRM management to team members who excel in those areas.
Skyler, on the other hand, is a tech enthusiast. He uses tools like Manychat for Instagram automation. He uses technology to make everything more efficient and more automated. For example, since he recognizes that his value is his knowledge, he connected his newsletter and CRM sign-up to his Instagram DMs to help transfer the relationship away from a social media chat. All someone has to do is complete a form or sign up for his newsletters to automatically get sent that promised incentive, like a one-sheet of downpayment assistance programs.
Skyler also emphasized the value of a paid ChatGPT account. He uses generative AI to draft emails, which become automations or templates.
Brandon’s social media presence uses a lot of videos, and he manages both his real estate page and his suburban lifestyle page. Capcut is his recommended tool for editing videos. Stanstore is what he uses as a landing page on his social media profiles. He then uses Zenlist to manage transactions with buyers or sellers. As he’s grown his social media presence, he hired a virtual assistant to manage the lifestyle page.
The takeaway? Use technology to enhance your strengths and protect your valuable time.
The ROI of Relationships
While metrics and follower counts are important, the panelists agreed that the real measure of success is in the quality of relationships you build. Rubina measures her success by referrals and repeat business. Brandon looks at whether he can be friends with clients after a transaction. These lasting, authentic connections are what truly build a sustainable real estate business.
Your homework: how are you tracking referrals? If you aren’t sure you’re getting any, how can you build more referral requests into your business? Don’t forget to track them!
Embrace Your Journey
Remember, building a strong brand takes time. As Brandon noted, “People are always getting magnetized to that number [of followers and videos], but they don’t see the number of reps that I do.” Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Focus on consistent improvement and staying true to your unique value proposition.
In the competitive real estate market, your brand is your most valuable asset. By focusing on authenticity, finding your niche, leveraging technology, creating memorable experiences and consistently showing up for your audience, you can build a brand that not only attracts clients but also stands the test of time. As you implement these strategies, remember the words of Skyler Lemons: “When you take the time and really speak to one person and make sure that all of your messaging is tailored to that specific person, you know, it’s endless where you can take your business.”