Brand and Bio Development
Answering the following questions will guide you through the process of creating your biography or profile. The key to writing a compelling bio is to be yourself and sell your skillset in a paragraph or so.
1. WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY:
Start with any relevant education and work experience. If you’re new to real estate, you can talk about transferable skills from other industries or play up the strengths of your office or team.
You’ll also want to include the following:
• Why did you enter the field of real estate?
• List any specialized training you have completed.
• List any certifications/licenses you hold outside of real estate.
• List the skills you possess that can be used in real estate.
• List the Board(s) of REALTORS® or REALTOR® Association memberships you joined.
• How many years have you been in real estate?If you have been in real estate for less than three years, list your company’s history, market position and philosophy.
2. GET PERSONAL:
The tone of your bio should always be professional, but it’s also OK for it to sound like you.Plus, you might share something in common with your audience that can help you build a connection!
• What’s your alma mater?
• List special committees you serve on or have served on.
• List special organizations, clubs or groups to which you belong.
• What do you enjoy?
• List hobbies, family members, etc. List any adjectives that describe you or your brand.
• Complete the phrase: I focus on selling in __________________________. (City or Area)
• What links you to this area?
• List past client testimonials, if available. These can be from other fields. You want to select those that speak to your work ethic, service delivery, attention to detail, follow-through, accountability, and so on.
HARRY NORMAN, REALTORS®
3. TURN OFF THE ENGLISH TEACHER:
Turn off the English Teacher in your head and dive in! Once you have it all on paper, you can go back and refine it. In other words, don’t expect to produce Shakespeare-level material right out of the gate.
4. SAY IT OUT LOUD:
Turn to your neighbor and talk through these questions together. They might observe an experience or skillset that you completely overlook!
5. KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET:
A bio should be no longer than a paragraph. Your goal is to give just enough information in an engaging way to inspire confidence and get that meeting.
Remember, you want people to want to get to know you better, so start with a well-written paragraph, and follow it up with your winning personality and skill!
The 6 Elements of a Good Social Media Bio
It may seem overly simple to concentrate on a social media bio right? But a strong social media presence starts with a good foundation.
There are several reasons why a good biography is important, the first being that people have short attention spans. You only have a few seconds to grab a person’s attention and get them to follow you. When people land on your account they want to know what you’re about and why they should care – a great bio is a good way to do all that.
1. Fill in all sections
2. Use a clear profile image
3. Take advantage of your header image
4. Use keywords
5. Links to website/landing pages
6. Adjust for each social media network
HARRY NORMAN, REALTORS®
Brand and Bio Development - Example
SHORT-FORM REAL ESTATE AGENT BIO TEMPLATE:
[Your locality] and [your broader regional locality] are great places to live and work, which is why [real estate agent name] chose to call it home. With roots in [hometown], [real estate agent name] came to [your locality] in [date you arrived]. Real estate is a passion for [real estate agent name], and with his/her background in [former career or education], it is easy to see why more than [clients serviced last year] families in [year] called [real estate agent name] for help buying and selling.
[Real estate agent name] has been a part of the [brokerage name] family for [amount of time with the brokerage] years, but he/she isn’t just passionate about helping families find their next home. [Real estate agent name] has served on his/her local [charity organization] and loves being a part of other [your locality] community events.
A passionate [hobby], when [real estate agent name] isn’t in the office or volunteering, you’ll often find him/her at [location where the hobby takes place], enjoying time with his/her friends and [family members].
LONG-FORM REAL ESTATE AGENT BIO TEMPLATE
[Real estate agent name], of [brokerage name], based in [your locality], is a [years in the business] veteran of the real estate industry and has represented clients all over [larger regional locality] in over [number of transactions] real estate transactions. [Real estate agent name] has built a solid foundation of clients in this community through her/his professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to always put his/her client’s needs first.
He/She studied [academic focus] at [school name], and afterward began work in [previous industry or “real estate”]. Passionate about [a particular aspect of real estate], [real estate agent name] has continued to leverage his/her knowhow and experience to exceed his/her client’s expectations.
Active in the community, [real estate agent name] is a proud part of the [nonprofit organization]’s effort to [community initiative]. [Quote from real estate agent about their nonprofit community work.]
In his/her free time, [real estate agent name] is an avid [hobby] and [another hobby]. Spending time in the [location one of the hobbies takes place] together with his/her friends and [family unit] as well as his/her [pet name and type] is never something [real estate agent name] takes for granted. [Quote from real estate agent about how lucky they are to have the chance to do their hobby in this place.]
HARRY NORMAN, REALTORS®
TORI HUGHES:
A true southern girl, Tori grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Master’s Degree in Accounting. After college, she moved to Atlanta to join Ernst & Young. It was during her accounting career that Tori was introduced to the intricacies of real estate through Real Estate Fund Accounting.
After taking some time away from the corporate world to stay home with her small children, Tori joined Harry Norman, REALTORS® and hit the ground running. Tori received the Harry Norman, REALTORS® Rookie of the Year Award (Company Wide) and was the #2 Top Producing Agent in the East Cobb Office in 2020, all while being actively involved in Atlanta REALTORS® Association and Georgia Association of REALTORS® .
With a strong work ethic and a passion for helping others, Tori was promoted to the Leadership Team as the Professional Development Manager for the company in 2021. In that role, she was responsible for developing and leading the training for 1,000+ new and seasoned agents.
In early 2022, Tori was named VP and Managing Broker of the North Fulton Office. This was a natural fit for Tori and a place where she could draw on her prior experience to foster the Harry Norman, REALTORS® culture and core values that have become so important to her.
With her accounting and training background, Tori has a unique perspective that allows her to manage and operate a real estate office while also living the people-first mindset when hiring, developing, and mentoring agents. Tori takes great pride in the success of her agents and strives to ensure her office is an inclusive and collaborative environment where each agent feels part of the Harry Norman, REALTORS® family.
Tori lives in Roswell with her husband, Matt, and their children, Cate and Connor, and rescue pup, Graham. The Hughes family loves the small town feel that Roswell provides along with the urban dining and boutique experience of Canton Street. When she is not working or playing Uber driver for her kids, Tori is constantly staying active, shopping, or browsing one of Roswell’s many festivals.
If you are interested in learning more about Harry Norman, REALTORS®, Tori would love to answer any questions you have.
DONNA AUGELLO:
Donna’s path to becoming a REALTOR® started as a hobby and interest in all things real estate nearly 2 decades ago, but she quickly became a top producing and award-winning agent at Harry Norman REALTORS®. As an Atlanta Native, Donna has unrivaled knowledge of the areas that she serves and is known for her commitment to customer service, making her the top choice to help you buy or sell your home.
Donna has a long track record of being a successful businesswoman, dating back to when she owned and operated a full-service salon prior to real estate. Donna’s consistent recognition as a trusted REALTOR® speaks for itself, including being named a member of Atlanta REALTOR® Associations Multi-Million Sales Club, a recipient of the Phoenix Award, a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, an Accredited Relocation Specialist and featured three years running in Atlanta Agent Magazine as one of Atlanta’s top agents. Dedicated to customer service, communication, and getting the best possible outcome for her clients, Donna always uses discretion when working with her clients, which range from first-time homebuyers to A-list celebrities.
HARRY NORMAN, REALTORS®
Her number one goal is to help you Love Where You Live.
As the team lead of award-winning Team Augello, there is always consistency, dependability, and reliability when you work with our team as we utilize the network and connections that we have fostered to help you buy or sell efficiently. With a well-established team, deep roots in Atlanta, and as a part of Atlanta’s oldest residential real estate firm, Donna can provide you the benefits of an extensive network, firsthand market knowledge, professional marketing, and an entire staff dedicated to using the most powerful search engines and updated social media trends, which will give your home an unparalleled online marketing presence.
Donna lives in Alpharetta and when she is not happily assisting clients, you will find her exploring the unique shopping and local restaurants that metro Atlanta has to offer with her family or relaxing at Lake Arrowhead with her two Labrador retrievers. She has a passion for design, loves cooking, and enjoys a glass of wine while soaking in the beautiful North Georgia scenery with her friends and family.
TODD EMERSON:
Todd Emerson began his career in real estate in 1998, when he joined Harry Norman REALTORS®. Over the past 25 years, Todd has been instrumental in the growth of the company, from an individual contributor who was consistently recognized for success in sales to his outstanding management skills as a Broker, and now, in his role as General Manager.
As General Manager, Todd oversees the day-to-day Brokerage operations as the Qualifying Broker for Harry Norman REALTORS®. He is responsible for working with the CEO in developing strategic growth initiatives and providing guidance and mentorship to all Managing Brokers, to ensure client, agent, and broker experiences that reflects the mission and vision of Harry Norman, REALTORS®. Todd’s philosophy and approach to management is simple; create and promote an agent-centric company that fosters honesty, integrity, and teamwork to deliver the highest level of luxury service to clients.
Prior to Todd’s role as General Manager, he was named Rookie of The Year during his first year in real estate and just two years later, was awarded Agent of The Year. He was quickly promoted and began his management roles in 2005 as the Associate Managing Broker of Harry Norman, REALTORS® Buckhead Office. In 2008, Todd was offered the opportunity to manage his own office as Managing Broker of the Atlanta Perimeter Office. The following year, Todd added a second office, Blue Ridge, to his list of responsibilities. His success in growing these offices led to his promotion to General Manager in 2017.
During his career, Todd has been an industry leader in shaping the Greater Atlanta real estate community. Currently, Todd serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta REALTORS® Association, is a State Director at the Georgia Association of REALTORS® representing the Atlanta REALTORS® Association, and is the Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee at the Georgia Association of REALTORS®. Todd’s past roles with Atlanta REALTORS® Association includes: President, Vice President of Professional Development, Vice President of Administration & Finance, and Vice President and Chairperson of the Governmental and Community Affairs
Committee. In addition to Todd’s involvement at the Atlanta Board of REALTORS®, he is also a Graduate of the Georgia Association of REALTORS® Leadership Academy and holds his GRI and CRS designations.
When not at the office, Todd enjoys spending time with his family, dogs, traveling, and playing golf.
(Donna Augello continued)
HARRY NORMAN,
REALTORS®
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