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Originally Posted On: https://inboundrem.com/real-estate-bio/
Where Real Estate Bios Go Wrong
Real estate bios are hugely misused by the majority of realtors.
Whether writing an About Page or a LinkedIn summary, real estate professionals often write their bios under some very wrong assumptions:
- The main point of agent bios is to list professional credentials
- Real estate bio templates work just fine because many realtors use them
- My credentials are impressive, therefore my real estate bio will automatically win clients
Bad Assumption #1 (Must Read)
The first assumption is especially dangerous. The point of a real estate bio is generating leads, not listing credentials. Mentioning professional info and demonstrating expertise are secondary. Your overarching goal should be inspiring people to contact you.
Bad Assumption #2
Real estate bio templates are a huge waste of self-marketing potential. They fundamentally misunderstand the way people consume information. They also suggest you have the personality of a cardboard box, and surely that’s not true.
Bad Assumption #3
Typical agent bios try to cram certain elements into a paragraph. These include education, employment background, community involvement, years of experience, areas serviced, hobbies, etc.
The competitor article I mention in the video praises these kinds of bios for successfully “trumpeting accomplishments.” 4 of the 5 examples for their best real estate bios are little more than CVs condensed into a boilerplate paragraph.
Yawn. That’s not how you market yourself in 2021.
Why Your Real Estate Bio Sucks
High-Conversion Realtor Bios
Potential leads are awash in a sea of information. They will not read something that does not engage them. Of course, they won’t be motivated to get in touch by a real estate bio they click off.
However, storytelling will engage them. If they feel like they already know you, they will be motivated to contact you. They should feel like they are in the middle of a conversation with a real person about their needs.
That’s why your real estate bio should be a highly-personal, mission-based story that radiates positivity and brings you to life in the reader’s imagination.
That kind of agent bio is golden. It will generate leads and make you more money. Anything short of that is probably just going to look like BLAH BLAH BLAH written in paragraphs. Your readers will gloss over it, and you won’t stand out from the competition.
Essential Tips for Writing Real Estate Bios
Every tip and trick also includes example real estate bios, both good and bad.
1. Tell a Misson-Based Story
Why are you a real estate agent? You have to answer that question and communicate why potential clients should care before you can generate leads from your realtor bio.
Later I provide some thought-provoking brainstorming questions and great real estate bio examples to get the juices flowing.
Bad Example 
“As a veteran real estate professional, I’ve been servicing the Lake Wylie area for 15 years. I’m a proud and active member of the community.”
Great Example 
“My wife and I spend Sundays on our boat, waterskiing and gawking at beautiful lakeside homes. We love the sense of community that comes from tossing a football with new friends at a Lake Wylie sandbar. After 15 years, we still get excited about matching those amazing people with wonderful homes.”
True, the second example trades some “professionalism” for approachability. But the second example gets people interested and eager to contact you. From that point, you can demonstrate professionalism all day long. The blandness of the first example is a turn-off.
The digital space can rob realtors of their personality. An excellent agent bio reclaims that personal spark to great effect.
What If I Don’t Have a Powerful Story?
You may be thinking, “But I don’t have some glorious narrative about why I became a realtor. Actually, it’s just a job.” That’s completely alright. You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) present a false version of yourself.
I myself fell into my current position as the founder of IREM. In fact, I wanted to get out of real estate digital marketing. But there are still strong reasons why I am where I am today.
As I mention in the video above, I do love marketing and connecting with people. And I’m a punk at my core. I’d even call myself the rebel of the real estate marketing world.
There are companies and competitor CEOs out there who represent The Man to me. They can be sneaky and kinda unethical. They put their own profit over the well-being of their clients.
The punk in me loves providing an alternative where people can enjoy top-tier real estate marketing services without worrying about getting burned.
Use my story as inspiration. Real estate does not need to be your calling for you to have a powerful story. You can read more about this below in our step-by-step guide to creating the ultimate realtor bio.
2. Avoid Boilerplate Statements
The sentences that pop into your head first when writing a real estate bio are probably boring because they are the sentences that pop into every agent’s head.
Bad Example
“I strive every day to exceed my client’s expectations.”
This sentence feels copy-and-pasted from a bone-dry sample real estate agent biography. Its formal tone sounds like the agent is writing what he thinks people want to hear. That’s exactly why it rings kinda false even if it is true.
If these words came from a satisfied client, they could have a different effect. And that’s the key to exchanging boring, obvious statements for interesting, powerful ones.
What have you done to make clients feel like their expectations were exceeded? How can you communicate that in a humble way?
Great Example
“There’s a huge reward in showing people homes that delight them with visions of a happy future. That’s why I throw myself into finding spaces that really speak to you.”
These statements communicate the same idea, but much more convincingly. They’re specific and personal, rather than general and generic.
Notice how there’s a reason behind the agent’s drive to exceed expectations. By letting readers into your inner life, you create well-deserved trust and connections.
3. Be Personal and Warm
Make your bio about your readers, not just yourself. Break the fourth wall and talk to them directly. Let them feel like they’re already dialoguing about their needs.
Bad Example
“Richard values the trust his clients place in him, and he goes the extra mile to show them.”
It’s a nice enough sentiment. But again, it’s not very persuasive because it’s so general. Basically, it violates the central rule of great writing, “Show, don’t tell.” Beyond that, this example feels impersonal because it’s written in 3rd person and refers to people as “clients”.
Great Example
“I’d love to bake my famous cinnamon coffee cake for your open house.”
This example agent bio sentence shines because the reader can vividly imagine what it’s like to work with you. It shows that you care.
Notice how the word “clients” was replaced with “you/your.” Even in your agent bio, it’s important to talk about potential clients with a personal touch.
Side Tip: Baking for open houses is a great client generation technique. You can leave the recipe on a postcard alongside your contact info. People connect you with a positive memory and keep your information on hand. Read more powerful real estate prospecting techniques.
4. Include Professional Info Strategically
Of course, I’m not suggesting that you throw out professional information. Just couch your experience and achievements in a narrative. Find ways to insert your professional highlights into personal statements that elicit emotion.
Bad Example
“Susan Withers, based in upstate New York her whole life, is an 18-year veteran of the real estate industry and has represented clients all over Syracuse in over 150 real estate transactions.”
As boring biographical statements go, this one isn’t the worst. At least it fits a lot of head-turning professional stats into a single sentence.
It could work as a 1-sentence summary tacked at the top of a LinkedIn profile. But in terms of a realtor bio that turns readers into clients, it’s not fully optimized.
Great Example
“That’s why I still enjoy helping people find their new nest-homes after 25 years.”
“My love of building relationships in this wonderful community is why my sales consistently rank in the top 1% of all Keller Williams Teams Internationally.”
“While earning my psychology degree at Rutgers, I became fascinated with the nearby architecture, especially the Georgian and Italianate homes on Montpelier Avenue.”
One gauge of a really strong bio sentence is that it accomplishes multiple things at once. The above sample (1) mentions education, (2) shows an emotional connection with the community, (3) demonstrates expertise about nearby properties.
5. Write
Write a long-form version that works for an About Page for your website or LinkedIn. Mine is about 450 words, but you can aim inside the range of 250-500 words.
Then work as much of that as possible into a short-form version. It should be one paragraph between 50-100 words or so. Keep both on hand because you may be surprised how often you can make use of them.
Again, the gauge of a great bio sentence is whether it accomplishes multiple things. That could include eliciting emotion, demonstrating expertise, showing an affinity for the community, and many others. If every sentence plays multiple roles, you’re on the right track.
6. Make a Video Real Estate Bio
This one can be daunting. You may be camera shy and insecure about your ability to be winsome on video. For many of my clients, it’s difficult to convince them to leverage the unbelievable power of video introductions.
But again, I can’t recommend this HIGHLY enough. Plus, it’s really not as difficult as it may seem. Even a 30-second introduction video can do wonders to encourage potential clients to contact you.
Still Not Convinced About Video?
Consider posting the video on your homepage like I do. This simple technique is responsible for about 30% of my leads. Check out the YouTube comments below for proof. Almost every commenter promises to reach out soon. In terms of digital real estate marketing, that’s absolute gold.
I watched the whole video, Robert, and found it refreshing. Why? Cause there are SO many hucksters in the real estate business, and it’s so difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Your style is much different. You’re direct, thoughtful, and seem to have a very clear focus. I will be reaching out.
– Jimmy Farrell
Watched the entire video and found it very helpful. I believe you saved me from diving into BoomTown or one of the others. I just sent you a message. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
– Kevin Hall
Plus you can post introduction videos to your LinkedIn profile. When visitors view your facial expressions and hear the tone of your voice goes a long way in creating trust.
Another great benefit of real estate video bios is that you can demonstrate professionalism with your appearance. Ultimately, that’s what a lot of typical, boring, overly-formal realtor bios are trying to do. But in that process, you out what really gets people excited to work with you, which is you.
Review the real estate video bio tips for some help. Then check out my introduction video below for more inspiration.
My Introduction Video
Key Takeaways
Here’s a list of techniques I use in this video that you can emulate.
- Be direct, thoughtful, helpful, transparent, and authentic.
- Tell client stories that demonstrate expertise while making it clear that people deeply value working with you.
- Relate the highlights of your professional background in story-format, making them more enjoyable to digest.
- Share your Unique Value Proposition (what separates you from your competition) in terms of how you can help people in ways that others can’t.
- Demonstrate your professional passion by talking about sacrifices you made in order to be a realtor.
- Educate your viewers about the community and local market, thereby demonstrating expertise while delivering value.
Recommended Articles
When we write an article or make a video, we aim to create the best content in the universe. Here are some more articles you might find super useful.
Write the Perfect Real Estate Bio (The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need)
7 Real Estate Podcast Legends Tell Their Best Money-Making Secrets
2021 Real Estate Marketing Plan (Strategies + Calendar)
How InboundREM Can Help You
If you have any hanging questions about realtor bios or pushback on our article, we will happily respond to your comment. Are you worried this strategy only works for long-form bios? Did you start the step-by-step process but got stuck somewhere? Let us know!
Beyond that, InboundREM is a top provider of real estate lead generation and digital marketing services. We build cutting-edge websites and then leverage those websites to drive inbound leads to you. Our claim to fame is an impressive long-term ROI.
How We’re Different
We’re also unique because we allow you to own your real estate website. Almost all similar companies lease them out. That prevents you from owning the very tool you’ve paid thousands for, but it also keeps you from switching companies. Yes, seriously.
For more information about our commitment to transparency and how we can drive high-quality leads to your digital door, get in touch!
