“The way to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”
-Socrates, classical Greek (Athenian) philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.
How much thought do you give to your reputation? In real estate, your reputation is your most powerful engine for referrals. If tainted, it can be a silent career killer. You might argue that maintaining your reputation isn’t merely one aspect of your business… it is your business. After all, consider what a referral really means: When a friend or former client refers you, they stake part of their reputation on your reputation.
The key to creating and maintaining a reputation is aligning your actions (and not just your marketing) with the reputation you wish to have. There are many aspects to reputation, such as:
- Your reputation as a negotiator
- Your reputation as a property specialist (condo, luxury, short-sale, etc.)
- Your reputation as a communicator
- Your reputation as a community figure
A useful exercise can be to write down “how you’d like to be thought of” in one column and “what you’ve done to reinforce it” in another. For instance, you may want to be seen as someone who serves in the community, but how much time have you spent volunteering?
Reputation also includes your actions on social media. What do you share? How do you comment on what others share? Do you ever pause and ask yourself: How could this post impact my reputation?
Your reputation is a work-in-progress. If you’ve made mistakes in the past or want to forge your reputation in a new direction, all you must do is be mindful of how you want to be perceived and act accordingly. Time will do the rest.
