Marketing That Converts: What Most Agents Miss About Personal Branding

Dec 19

Lexi Harrison

Meet Lexi Harrison, a Senior Strategic Growth Manager at Compass in Austin, Texas. With a passion for helping agents amplify their unique strengths, Lexi brings a deep understanding of how personal branding can be the game-changer in real estate success. Drawing from her own experiences as both a marketer and a homeowner, Lexi has a talent for bridging the gap between strategy and authenticity.

The Basics of Personal Branding

Q: What is personal branding and why is it important? How does it help them grow their business?

Lexi: Your personal branding is how you communicate who you are, your personality, your style, your skills and interests through the use of lifestyle photography, your logo, your bio, your overall image. You want a consumer to be able to take a look at the promotion of your personal brand and have a good sense of who you are.

In fact, my husband and I bought our first home in 2022. We had so many amazing advisors to choose from in Austin and what really drew us to the Compass team we worked with- was their brand. At first glance, I felt aligned with their personal style from the clothes that they wore to the homes that they posted about. I learned that they teach classes for first time home buyers and specialize in the area that we were looking for.

The Foundation of an Effective Brand

Q: What are the first steps an agent should take to build a strong personal brand?

Lexi: At Compass, our talented Marketing Advisors have created a guide with thought provoking questions to help identify your “5 P’s” : purpose, positioning, personality, perception, and promotion. Being able to answer to these and plan for them will set an exceptional foundation for your personal brand.

Q: What role does authenticity play in branding?

Lexi: It’s essential to be as authentic as possible in your branding to establish trust with clients. If your branding doesn’t align with who you truly are, the risk is clients feeling misled.

Strategy and Execution

Q: What tools or platforms should agents prioritize for branding (e.g., social media, websites, email marketing)?

Lexi: In my opinion, in order to properly promote, you should do so across both digital and print channels and on a consistent basis.

I would reflect and think “Who are my clients? What is the best way to communicate with them? Are they on instagram or facebook? Do they check their emails?” Then adjust your marketing efforts accordingly. It isn’t one size fits all, you have to meet your clients where they’re at.

Q: How can agents ensure consistency across their marketing channels (e.g., tone, visuals, messaging)?

Lexi: The building blocks for brand consistency could be your logo and your lifestyle photography. Those will likely be attached to all of your marketing collateral and should remain the same throughout different channels. For instance, using the same logo on a brochure, a social media post and an email will create more cohesive, clean content.

The Compass Advantage

Q: How do Compass resources like marketing templates, design support, and coaching help agents build standout brands?

Lexi: I think it’s safe to say that not everyone has experience, an interest or a knack for marketing. If your brokerage doesn't offer support in this area, creating everything on your own can be time-consuming and costly, especially if you opt to hire a design agency.

At Compass, our marketing team has developed a sophisticated array of digital and print marketing materials, all accessible through the 'Marketing Center.' Agents can easily personalize each piece with their own branding. Our team of Marketing Advisors, are also there to help from a strategic perspective. For instance, if you have a lifestyle photography shoot coming up and aren’t sure how to tell the story of your personal brand through the photos, you can schedule a strategy session with the team to guide you in the right direction.

Closing and Inspiration

Q: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to agents about personal branding that most people overlook?

Lexi: Next time you see an ad, post, or piece of marketing that you admire (it doesn’t need to be real estate related) ask yourself why you like it. What is it that you’re drawn to? How does it make you feel? What is the message they’re trying to communicate? These answers can likely get you closer to identifying your own personal brand.

About Lexi Harrison

Lexi Harrison is a Senior Strategic Growth Manager at Compass in Austin, Texas, where she specializes in guiding agents to unlock their full potential through effective branding and growth strategies. With a keen eye for marketing and an authentic approach, Lexi is dedicated to helping agents build meaningful connections and achieve their business goals. When she’s not working with agents, Lexi enjoys exploring Austin with her husband and their first home—a journey that fuels her passion for the real estate industry.

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Compass does not recommend one particular strategy or guarantee of results.*