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The agent who won a realestate.com.au award for having the portal’s best Agent Profile page reveals what he did to stand out and how the page has helped win him listings.
Brent Mason from Ray White Bendigo, Victoria is a modern, professional agent who works hard for his vendors and gives back to the community, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
That’s the impression Mr Mason has been able to create through his realestate.com.au Agent Profile page.
Mr Mason’s profile includes a striking photo of a local landmark, a modest photo of himself, an inspirational quote, a description of his skills, awards and community involvement, as well as a video, which he says is the most important part of an Agent Profile page.
Video trumps text and images, according to Mr Mason, because consumers believe it gives them a better insight into an agent’s personality. Therefore, agents who appear warm and professional on camera give themselves the best possible chance of being invited into a vendor’s lounge room.
That’s why Mr Mason didn’t skimp on his video, which is slightly over two minutes long. He hired a professional and devoted half a day to the shoot.
“It cost me $400 and it was a pretty good investment because the video has led to me listing a few properties,” he says.
The video shows the professional side of Mr Mason. He’s wearing a suit and discussing real estate practice. But he’s also laid-back and approachable, watering the garden, joking with colleagues and playing with one of his 23 dogs. Viewers also get to see the caring side of Mr Mason when he discusses his volunteer work at an aged care facility. For good measure, a vendor named Chris Avery provides a credible testimonial – positive but not gushing. Mr Avery is dressed in a T-shirt and nursing a drink, making him relatable for a typical Bendigo home owner.
“I put in things about the dogs and my involvement with the community because I’m still a big believer that if you do right by people, that somewhere along the line they’ll do right by you,” Mr Mason says.
“It might not be [whether] they sell or rent their house through you, but someone might say, ‘I’m thinking about selling my house, who would you sell your house through?’, and if you're actively involved and committed to the community, you would think that in combination with a positive attitude will then get you referrals.”
Here’s why you should hire me
Mr Mason says he also put thought into the other elements of his Agent Profile page. The first thing browsers see is a hero shot of a Bendigo landmark, the Alexandra Fountain, which he says immediately reinforces his local credentials.
Underneath the photo is an inspirational quote, “Change ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can’ and pretty soon you’ll say ‘I did’”. That’s designed to send the message that Mr Mason is the sort of person who works hard and never gives up.
Next come information about his experience and background. As he explains to buyers and sellers, he’s a Gen Y agent with a strong understanding of digital marketing, social media and database management. There’s also information about his military service, his social work and his networking efforts.
Getting an edge over rivals
Mr Mason says the tone of an Agent Profile page is as important as the content. It should be professional, but not flashy, so that it inspires confidence in consumers without alienating them.
“I think it should just be about who you are, and I think if people like you and they know that you’re consistent and dedicated to your job they’ll list with you,” he says.
“I also want people to know that I’m not some 27-year-old flashy agent. I drive a Holden van, I don’t run a BMW.”
By completing his Agent Profile page, Mr Mason says he’s immediately established a small edge over local rivals who haven’t. First, it portrays him as being a more thorough agent. Second, it makes it easier for people to share information about him with their friends. Third, vendors are never left asking how he can be trusted to market their property when he hasn’t taken the time to properly market himself.
Mr Mason has no doubt that investing time and money in his Agent Profile page has translated into business.
“The key with real estate is to do the one percenters that the majority of the market aren’t doing. The Agent Profile is probably the easiest one percenter you can do,” he says.
“It definitely creates a noise generator when people are out talking about real estate and what agent they're going to choose.”
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