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OMG! Your Profile Photo is Killing Your Leads!

By
Real Estate Agent with Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group NMLS# 1990881 SL# 3516742

Ok, so you are out shopping for insurance for that nice shiny new Ferrari you just bought yourself off that sweet deal from last month (ok... this is a dramatization) and you want to make sure that your investment is in the right hands. You have a choice of two insurance agents in town (it's a small town...What can I say?)

Insurance agent A:   You walk in the office and almost scare the poor guy out of the nap he was taking. He moves his feet off the desk, shuffles papers around and sets to writing an insurance proposal. You notice, while he's fumbling with numbers, that his favorite pair of college tennis shoes is peering out from under the front of his desk adorned by frayed fragments of his dirty jeans and it seems that the last time his team baseball shirt saw a washer machine; he was walking past it at the home depot. As he finishes the insurance proposal, he knocks over what's left of his morning coffee, wipes the stains off the document with his hand, wipes his hand on his pants and then gives you the documents for your review. He then excuses himself, muttering something unintelligible as he walks out of the office and says he will be right back.

Insurance agent B:   You start to walk into his office and are immediately greeted by a clean cut gentleman wearing a crisp white shirt, blue tie and black Dockers. His black dress shoes look like he spends the majority of his day obsessed with shining them, but from the looks of the neatly hung pictures of current clients & testimonials, you are quite sure he spends his days dedicated to his clients. He invites you to take a seat, asks you a few questions and quickly prints out a professionally prepared document. He then asks you if you would like something to drink and offers to go over your options with you.

Now... take a quick look at your profile picture and see what first impression you are giving to potential clients that are reading your blogs. Are you agent A or B? Does it look like you were fumbling with your phone when the flash suddenly went off? Kids did a drive-by ‘shooting' while you were working in the yard? (Camera shooting that is) You set the camera to delay on the kitchen table and missed the top of your head?

I have actually seen all of the pics that I mention above on profiles here in active rain, and wondered... what are they thinking? Isn't the purpose of a blog to attract more clients? Who in their right mind would entrust their biggest investment to agent A? ... I mean do you really want to project the image of agent A to potential leads?

Just food for thought.

Posted by

 

 

as seen onCheryl Carradini, MBA | Marketing Strategist |  GoSIMC

Cheryl Carradini, BSB/MKT, MBA, is a Marketing Strategist for highly successful real estate professionals. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business with a concentration in Marketing and a Master’s of Business Administration. She is currently a Ph.D. student working on her Doctor of Philosophy with a concentration in Marketing. She is a US Navy Veteran and the president and founder of GoSIMC Inc. Her marketing firm specializes in providing website & IDX solutions for busy real estate professionals that want to dominate the search engines.  She has authored several books, Internet courses, and direct marketing manuals for small businesses and real estate agents around the world.   

Quote: "If you do not have a marketing strategy in place, then all you are doing is spending money on marketing that ‘might work’. Marketing is the single most important function in your business and you CANNOT afford to use guesswork as a strategy.

 

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Comments(9)

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Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info
Please tell me what you think of my profile picture!  I am trying not to be just another little head.
Mar 01, 2008 01:13 PM
Mara Hawks
First Realty Auburn - Auburn, AL
Inactive-2012 REALTOR - Homes for Sale Auburn Real Estate, AL
Oh yes, I'd like your opinion as well. It will be well-respected, and I'll take your advice! Thanks! (I do like YOUR pic, but if I did a pose like that, people would know for sure I was trying to cover up my sagging neck! lol)
Mar 01, 2008 01:20 PM
Karen Monsour
Coldwell Banker Fort Lauderdale Beach - Fort Lauderdale, FL
REALTOR, SSRS - Sells FL Waterfront, Short Sale Expert!

So, who do suggest...Glamour shots? Is that where you went? 

 

Mar 01, 2008 01:25 PM
Mike Willett
The A&M Group - Saint Petersburg, FL
Makes sense to me, especially since we've all been taught that the first impression is often the most important, and if it is not a good one, it could be the last impression.  We all can remember running into an old friend, one we've not seen in a long time, only to judge their current condition by their appearance.  Can any of us afford the risk?
Mar 02, 2008 03:47 AM
Tina Merritt
Nest Realty - Blacksburg, VA
Virginia Real Estate
My problem is I change my haircolor so often, I need a new picture about every 2 months!
Mar 02, 2008 03:55 AM
Cheryl Waller, MBA
Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group - Vero Beach, FL
Florida REALTOR® & Mortgage Loan Originator

Georgina, Mara & Karen - Thank you and I think this will answer all your questions. (I hope you dont mind that I used your photo Georgina)

www.PortraitProfessional.com

The image that I use for my 'online face' is actually a picture that my ex-husband took of my when I was dead tired from a full day of walking around Italy. I just liked the way the picture came out and post-processed it for use in marketing. From your comments, I guess it worked out pretty good ;)  Thanks!

Mike - I agree 100%

 

 

Mar 05, 2008 04:57 AM
Goomzee Corporation
Goomzee Corporation - Missoula, MT
www.goomzee.com
I think the best is when you are on office sites and you are crusing through the agents... then you come across one that looks like either the pictures was taken in the late 70's early 80's and they just haven't had time to submit a new one, OR, they are actually still stuck in the late 70's and early 80's... both situations are not good.  Thanks for sharing!!!
Mar 05, 2008 05:07 AM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

Cheryl - that's just creepy, all tarted up like that... hahaha.  It's not me.  I'm surprised you didn't dye my hair too.  I'm sorry but I'm not that fake.  If I lose clients because of it, so let it be.  I'm always get a chuckle when some realtors try to get across that they are so honest and sincere, and yet they: dye their hair, have boob implants, tons of makeup, fake tan, dripping with bling, etc.  Is that really what consumers want from an "honest" agent?  Thanks for your effort anyway, I had a good laugh.  I think I'll stay with the footprint in the sand picture for now. 

You can leave it there, I don't mind.  :) 

Mar 05, 2008 05:37 AM
Cheryl Waller, MBA
Ocean Capital Lending & Ocean Capital Real Estate Services Group - Vero Beach, FL
Florida REALTOR® & Mortgage Loan Originator

Georgina,

No insinuations intended. I was just showing off the software. :)

Thank you!

Mar 05, 2008 06:02 AM