People like to work with people they are comfortable with. Someone may offer a better price but if they aren’t comfortable with the individual or company they will most likely pass. As a real estate investor, your reputation is one of the most important assets you have. If a real estate agent, contractor or attorney can research your information and instantly feel comfortable with you they will most likely want to work with you. Building credibility in your market is something you should focus on every day. You never know when someone is going to see or hear something that gets their attention. The more visible you are in your market the easier it is for someone to research you. If you are struggling getting your name out here are seven ways to give your business credibility.
- REIA Meetings. The first step in building credibility is focusing on your local market. In most areas, there are monthly real estate investment association (REIA) meetings. These meetings will often attract anywhere from fifty to five hundred people depending on the keynote speaker and the market. As you work your way up to keynote speaker status you should plant your flag at every meeting. Start by introducing yourself to as many people as you can and exchanging business cards with everyone you meet. By showing up early and talking to people you will put yourself on their radar. Eventually when you close a deal together they will sing your praises to everyone they know.
- Real Estate Blogs. It is no secret that people search the internet for practically everything. The next time you get a minute try typing your name in a search engine and see what comes up. What you will find is that everything you contributed online is there. One of the ways to build positive feedback and credibility is by contributing to real estate blogs. There are numerous real estate investing websites who are always looking for guest bloggers. You don’t need to be an expert writer to contribute to a blog. If you can write 350-500 words on a topic you have knowledge in and are passionate about you will be fine. With a few shares on social media you can get your name out to hundreds of people.
- Radio Spots. There are many traditional ways of building credibility. For as many people that rely solely on the internet a large segment still leans on radio and newspaper for their information. In almost every market there are local radio stations dying to fill content. With a few calls you can probably find a program that is dedicated to real estate or finance and would welcome an expect in the studio. You may not get any direct business from a 15-minute radio spot but the next time someone sees in person or online they will recognize the name and want to work with you.
- Social Media. Reputations can be make or broken based on what is seen on social media. It is important that you put your best foot forward at all times in every situation. If someone is critical of your business you can’t snap back at them with a negative comment. By taking the high road you can turn negative comments into a positive. As a general rule of thumb you should not say anything online that you wouldn’t say to someone in person. All it takes is one negative comment or reaction to change the way someone thinks of you.
- eBook. There is something about putting your name in print. Just like with blogging if you have even the slightest writing ability you may be able to produce a topical eBook. With your eBook, you can not only showcase it on your website but you can also hand it out at networking meetings and promote it on social media. Your eBook doesn’t need to be overly lengthy as long as you have a good topic and is informative.
- Sponsorships. It doesn’t cost much to sponsor a little league team but think of the people it reaches. For starters, you reach the twelve of so kids on your team. On top of that your business name will also be seen by every team they play not to mentioned recognition at opening day and end of year celebrations. It is not a stretch to say that you can easily reach hundreds of people in your immediate market. When you price it out you are looking at less than $1 per person. For the sheer cost alone it is worth it.
- Business Website. On every business website there is a section for feedback and testimonials. Any positive feedback received should be prominent on your website and shared on as many social media platforms as possible. It is ok to ask for feedback from someone you worked with. Many people shy away from this but if the opportunity is there you should take it. Your business website is one of the firs things that is looked at. With positive testimonials on the home page reader will instantly think fondly of you.
The more people see and hear about you and your business the better chance you have of making a connection. Once you gain credibility have of your work is already done.
