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Business development managers who build their personal brand confidently and communicate clearly can reach their ideal client base and drive growth, an industry expert has said.
Sarah Cincotta, founder and CEO of RISE with Sarah Cincotta, joined REB podcast host Emilie Lauer to unpack the four pillars of building a brand as a business development manager (BDM) and strategies for driving sustainable growth.
According to Cincotta, to build sustainable growth, BDMs should showcase their personal brand to find their ideal clients. She will share more of her techniques at the upcoming REB Property Management Excellence (PMX) Conference on 27 November.
With over a decade in the real estate industry, Cincotta has seen BDMs struggling to develop their business due to a lack of support, resources, and self-confidence.
“Personal branding is very important because at the end of the day, it’s just you and somebody else; whether it's a Zoom meeting or in their lounge room, it’s you they are speaking to,” Cincotta said.
“You have got to have confidence in the team and the brand.”
The four pillars of being a successful BDM
According to Cincotta, BDMs should focus on four key areas to attract business rather than chasing it, with good communication skills at the centre.
She said that BDMs should be aware of their visibility, energy, clarity, and relatability to ensure they are coming across well and attracting the right clients.
“If you can work on these four things, you have a very powerful business model and personal brand.”
To build trust with clients, Cincotta said BDMs should push themselves to a “hard reality check” and ensure they present well.
When it comes to visibility, Cincotta said that BDMs who transition from property management roles can sometimes struggle to handle the increased exposure.
While property managers do most of their work in the background, Cincotta said that BDMs cannot hide away.
“If we are looking to have some solid foundations to build and establish relationships with people, the biggest relationship we need to work on is with ourselves.”
“If we are lacking in self-confidence and we are trying to pitch our business to someone else, it will show up in many different ways.”
According to Cincotta, a lack of self-confidence will often show through a BDM's body language or tone when dealing with clients, requiring them to have sufficient energy throughout the day.
She reminded BDMs that the job requires resilience and encouraged them not to take things personally.
“We aren’t going to be for everyone, and that is okay.”
“The other part of resilience is when you get the no’s, how do you recover from that?”
“When we start asking ourselves questions, we get better at being more prepared for the next time.”
Growth isn’t one size fits all
With no singular guaranteed way to ensure growth, Cincotta said that BDMs should focus on their individual strengths.
“We can’t just teach one approach, because every BDM has a different personality.”
“It’s really honing in on their branding.”
To attract their ideal customer, Cincotta said real estate professionals need to communicate clearly and specifically with clients.
“We almost all sound the same and we say the same things. The message gets boring, and it’s not specific to the ideal client,” she said.
“When you do get specific, on the type of people you want to work with, that’s when the strategies become really clear.”
Additionally, Cincotta encouraged BDMs to learn more about their clients’ property investments to tailor to their needs and retention strategies.
Cincotta said that retention wasn’t just about ensuring that clients stay, but also about preventing them from selling their property and instead making the most of it.
With renters typically staying for just 12 months, Cincotta said that BDMs and property managers need to take a longer-term view of the market.
“BDMs need a very clear understanding of not just the market now, but also in the predicted two- to five-year period.”
Listen to the full podcast here.
Cincotta, who is also the winner of REB Innovator of the Year – Sales Coach/Mentor 2025, will be a speaker at the upcoming REB Property Management Excellence (PMX) Conference on 27 November.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mathew Williams
Born in the rural town of Griffith NSW, Mathew Williams is a graduate journalist who has always had a passion for storytelling. Having graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Sports Media in 2023, Mathew recently made the move to Sydney from Canberra to pursue a career in journalism and has joined the Momentum Media team, writing for their real estate brands. Outside of journalism, Mathew is an avid fan of all things sports and regularly attends sporting events across Sydney. Get in touch at
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