You’re so proud of what you have accomplished in the real estate world - you feel like you’re finally rising up through the ranks. You have worked hard on pulling together all of your marketing materials, have landed a few wonderful clients recently, and with all the hard work paying off -- you actually just got a word-of-mouth referral! But what happens when that word-of-mouth referral sees your headshot, (a photo from your recent beach vacation)? Suddenly things change. Why is that? Below are the reasons why you should absolutely have a professional headshot, and other things to think about regarding the age old “real estate agent headshot” culture:

Building Trust

When a buyer or seller is looking for someone to help with what is likely their most important (and largest) monetary transaction to date, they are not only looking for someone they like, they are looking for someone that they can 100% trust. While trust comes in many different shapes and sizes, in the real estate world, trust comes most heartily in the form of professionalism. You want to show just how professional you are with each and every way you market and present yourself - and a professional headshot is absolutely key to that equation.

Your Brand Is YOU

As much as a real estate agent is selling a service, at the end of the day, you’re really selling YOU as a service. Just like you would highlight a product to the best of your abilities if marketing and selling it, selling your own brand means that highlighting yourself in the best way possible is crucial. This is why not only having a professional headshot, but putting in the work of deciding what look and feel represents you best is completely worth the effort - and necessary at that! 

Put a Face to the Name

Marketing is all about having multiple touch points. The more potential buyers see or hear of a brand, the more familiar they get with it, and when it’s time to make a purchase of that type - that brand is top of mind! As a real estate agent, you are doing just that. You are constantly putting your name and brand out there for potential clients to choose you when they’re ready! Because of this, you want to not just be a name on emails, social posts and mailers - you want to be a friendly face that your potential clients know and recognize. 

First Impression

If we had to make a bet, we would go “all in” on the fact that potential clients will get their first impression of you online or from a sign, mailer, or the like before they see you in person. You know what that means? Your first impression (which, as the old adage has it, is “everything”) is your headshot. You want to take that first impression and make it as wonderful as possible, right?

So you’re convinced of a professional headshot. Now what? 

Keep it updated! 

Styles and trends change … and so do you! You want to look just like the best version of yourself today (and not 5 or 10 years ago). Plan to get your headshot updated every 1 to 2 years.

Act Natural. 

You don’t want to be overly posed. Do you ever feel like someone’s headshot is uninviting because they have their arms crossed? Too much posing in any way can lead to unwanted messages to come across.

Smile! 

Don’t worry about having a big smile or a laugh in a headshot -- studies show that smiling makes people feel more trusting. And real estate can be stressful - give people a reason to feel like you’re a professional, friendly face in the journey they’re about to embark on.