Admin

Why a Resume’ Doesn’t Replace an Agent Bio

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

You’ve read plenty of resume’s. They all outline a person’s education, work history, and skills. Employers use them to try to find the most qualified candidates for a specific position.

Since the home buyers and home sellers who choose you are also technically employers, shouldn’t your resume’ be enough to convince them that you’re the real estate agent they need?

No, because the relationship between a real estate professional and his or her clients is more personal.trust

When a corporate employer chooses a new employee, that employee may never work directly with the employer. And the employer certainly won’t be sharing the personal and financial details of his or her life with the new hire.

When a home buyer or home seller chooses an agent, they will work closely together. Since they’ll necessarily be sharing details they would probably never share with anyone outside of their immediate circle of friends and/or family, the new “employer” will feel a need to trust that agent on a level that goes beyond professional credentials.

Trust is an elusive thing, and we trust for many reasons, some of which don’t always make sense. One of those reasons is that we simply like someone – and one of the reasons we like people we don’t even know is that they are “like us” in some way. It may not be rational to like someone because they love dogs, play tennis, or volunteer at a soup kitchen, but we humans aren’t always rational.

That’s why I encourage agents to share a bit of personal information. It could be about where they grew up, past employment, hobbies, family, pets, volunteer activities, passions and interests that led them to a career in real estate – or preferably a combination of a few such details.

I recently wrote a bio for a lady who shares her home with a service dog, and the two of them visit nursing homes to bring comfort to the residents. How do you think that information will affect potential clients who read her bio?

Does your bio let the “personal you” shine through? If not, take some time to spice it up. And if you can’t figure out how to do that, get in touch. I love helping agents build trust with total strangers!

 

 

 

 

Comments(25)

Show All Comments Sort:
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

                  

                                  Thank you, Marte. 

Sep 01, 2018 06:10 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thank you Kathy Streib - I feel honored to be included.

Sep 01, 2018 08:20 PM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Marte. Your distiction is valid and I agree with you. Different products for different purposes.

Sep 02, 2018 04:26 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Marte Cliff,

I'm so glad that Kathy Streib featured your post on her "Ah-Ha" moments for the week. I couldn't agree with you more and just re-wrote my Bio and trying to remember to post it everywhere. You are right you need to let the "personal you" shine through.

Sep 02, 2018 06:44 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

I agree! Adding personal info makes it easier to trust you! I've always believed that adding personal posts to your blog is important to...it can be very boring to have a blog that is all business.

Sep 02, 2018 07:02 AM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Marte,
Great points.  People want to work with competent people who they can also relate to on a personal level.

Sep 02, 2018 07:33 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Sheila Anderson - Thanks. That's the way I see it.

Dorie Dillard - I think it's important. Nobody decides to like you based only on professional credentials.

 

Sep 02, 2018 10:36 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Sharon Tara Yes, I like the personal posts, and I enjoy the professional posts most when they include a story about a personal experience.

Carol Williams - We all do want the best of both worlds, don't we?

 

Sep 02, 2018 10:38 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Good afternoon Marte Cliff - excellent points about resume.  In the case of a real estate agent you need to develop a bond of trust that is not on a resume.  However, a resume alone is not suited for employment either.  We need to know attitudes and behaviors through an interview process.

Sep 02, 2018 11:14 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Grant Schneider - That's true. But how many potential real estate clients interview several agents before making a choice. Surveys seem to indicate that most people go with the first agent they speak with.

Sep 02, 2018 09:46 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Marte

I think this makes so much sense given the business we are in and how consumers tend to select the agent they want to work with. So different in many ways from the corporate world I spent many years in.

Jeff

Sep 03, 2018 09:08 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Jeff Dowler, CRS - Real estate is a different animal anyway, then when you add in the Internet...

Sep 03, 2018 09:32 AM
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Marte Cliff  Great ideas here as always . Carol Williams  featured this in SCS as I missed your original post . I see that Kathy Streib also featured it too .

Sep 08, 2018 12:58 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thanks Hannah Williams - this has been such a crazy week, I've hardly been here. Now I need to go see what I missed on Carol's and Kathy's posts.

Sep 08, 2018 03:36 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

 

Always happy to see what you are sharing and glad this was featured by Kathy Streib 

Sep 08, 2018 07:25 PM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Great advice!  It's very important to market yourself in an agent resume as to past successes, along with projects, volunteer work, and niche marketing, which might not be on a resume.  Great post!

Sep 16, 2018 05:08 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thanks Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland - I always appreciate you stopping by!

Jan Green - That's right. A resume' lists professional accomplishments, but a bio also shows who you are as a person.

Sep 17, 2018 11:41 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

A bio put your own spin and twist and own personality in all of it that is effective in a way that no other thing can.

Sep 19, 2018 11:16 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

In reference to what you just said we appreciate you even more some days, Marte! :)

Sep 19, 2018 11:18 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Laura Cerrano If you want to stand out from the crowd, your own personality needs to show.

Sep 20, 2018 09:31 AM