The Modern Loan Officer is Seen Before Being Known, Liked, and Trusted.
Jan 20, 2023Over the past 12 months, I have pursued and invested thousands of dollars in learning from the world’s top Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram experts.
And it has been worth every dollar.
In today’s newsletter, I will show you the exact fundamentals to build and develop your social presence.
The Modern Loan Officer understands that being seen before being known, liked, and trusted is working smart.
There are “offline” sales and “online” sales and in the world of Real Estate, the two are now officially merged and intertwined.
The most effective Real Estate salespeople (Realtors, Lenders, Attorneys, etc.) positioned to dominate in the next few years will invest their time and resources immediately and continuously in these two sandboxes.
Most will be consumers, few will be creators.
Gone are the days of hearing: “I’m not really a Social Media type of person”.
…well, it doesn’t matter what you want, it’s what the market dictates and you must adapt.
Americans now spend, on average, more than an hour a day on Facebook and Facebook-connected platforms.
And the future homebuyer is on places like Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Offline (traditional) sales, such as phone and in-person prospecting will indeed always rule supreme. It’s highly effective when done with the right people and in the right way but it is not always the most efficient.
Online (Modern) sales, such as business media (what I refer to as social media now), are most efficient and can be as highly effective as offline sales if also approached correctly.
Many Real Estate “professionals” are either too lazy or too incompetent or too inconsistent or too impatient or too worried about what others might think to start and dominate on social.
Well, I’m here to help you overcome some of those limitations.
Here’s my 5-step process to make your “virtual storefront” attractive to your visitors:
Step #1: Banner
Your banner is prime real estate.
Picture yourself walking at the mall, and you see hundreds of stores. You come across a store that appears to sell Women’s shoes, but wait, the sign is a picture of a skyline, huh? That’s literally what most Real Estate professionals’ “digital sign” looks like.
Sure, the Chicago or Dubai skyline looks cool, but currency is more significant than cool.
The very first image any visitor sees when visiting any of your social media profiles is your banner, it’s the most important part of your virtual real estate (aka prime real estate).
Imagine this as the MLS listing for one of your top clients. You’ve had professional property photos taken, but the first image is that of the alley. Lol.
This image should invite people “in” and to follow you.
Step #2: Headshot
Your headshot is your first impression.
Everybody judges people’s appearances, consciously or subconsciously, it’s proven through years of research. Your headshot will induce a feeling of some sort and it’s important your headshot is neutral, inviting, and aligned with your brand.
Hire a professional photographer and take your personal image seriously.
Step #3: Tagline
Your tagline is not about you.
Now that your visitors understand who you are (banner) and if you’re approachable (headshot), your tagline is critical for them to understand how you can be of value to them.
The objective of the tagline is to explain to your visitor clearly and concisely what you do and how you help them.
Hint: It’s not your actual title, nobody cares about that. The minute you realize that everything you communicate is about others is the minute your career will change.
Bad: “Branch Manager for XYZ Mortgage, NMLS #555555
Good: “Demystifying the mortgage process through easy-to-understand education”
That is compelling and attractive. It will intrigue people to follow you.
Step #4: Content You are the trusted expert through content.
Once you have successfully attracted and engaged your visitor through your sign (banner), headshot (window dressing), and tagline (window signs), it’s time to bring them in to see your products (content).
This will illustrate your commitment and seriousness to your craft, so the first step is to delete a majority of your posts not relating to your profession.
I like a 4:1 professional-to-personal content ratio.
In other words, for every four professional posts, one of them should be about you personally (something fun, entertaining, humorous, etc.).
But, if you have a bunch of posts about your beloved Pittsburgh Steelers or your Wordle results and wonder why your sales suck, now you have an idea of why.
Content curation should educate, entertain, and encourage.
Educating will showcase your expertise.
Entertaining will make you approachable.
Encouragement will empower others (“if they bought a home with [insert your name], we can too!”)
Content curation is a lot easier than you might think.
I personally subscribe and read to various industry publications and attend masterminds and workshops, along with studying trends that I share in layman’s terms daily with my community.
It shows my subject matter expertise. More and more people know me, like me, and trust me.
Step #5: Engagement
Now that your visitors are in your “digital store” and intrigued by your products (content), it’s time to interact with them.
Imagine owning an awesome Women’s shoe store and your salesperson does not greet or approach your new visitor...you would not be happy.
There is nothing different in the “digital” or “virtual” storefront world.
Fortunately, such engagement doesn’t need to be immediate in the digital world but having a set time (preferably in the mornings) to like, heart, comment, and direct message your visitors will cause your “cash register” to ding all day.
Simply liking will not cut it. But engaging through thoughtful comments and direct messaging will attract people to you. Don’t post and ghost.
I promise you when a couple is at home deciding which Loan Officer or Realtor to procure, your virtual presence, credibility, and like-ability on social will help you win more than you can imagine.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read): I.e. the cliff notes
- Banner image must clearly represent your brand
- Headshot must be professional and inviting
- Tagline how you specifically help others
- Content must showcase your expertise
- Engagement must happen strategically
