How to Write a Powerful Agent Bio that Gets Noticed

Want more clients? Of course, you do.

You'll need an effective marketing strategy then.

One simple, yet important part of your marketing plan should include writing an agent biography. Have you added yours? What does your bio say about you?

In this article, I'll show you why your bio is important and how to write one that stands out.

Why Your Author Bio Is So Important

Many agents don’t give much thought to their online bios. If they have one, it's typically a quickly written blurb they slapped together in a few minutes.

What they don’t know is that your bio can have a big impact on sales. That's because when you meet a potential new client for the first time, often the first thing they do is look you up.

Think about it for a second.

Let’s say you bump into a potential client at an open house this week. You talk to them for the first time. They’re a stranger. They’ve never heard of you. Then, you give them your card. When you leave, they’ll probably either throw your card away or if they're a serious buyer, they'll head to your webpage (or Google) and look you up. Your bio is one of the first things they’re going to read.

It’s a first impression. It sets the precedent for what they think about you and your capabilities — whether you sound like you know what you're talking about, you’re just like every other agent out there, or maybe you're someone they would like to work with.

Your bio can give you more credibility or authority in real estate than just about anything else will. Why?

Whether it's right or wrong, people form first impressions quickly. Our brains intuitively scan enormous amounts of information when we first meet someone (information we often don't even know it's searching for) and then makes a quick judgment. "I like this person." "I don't like this person." "I can trust this person."

Clients who have never met you will form an initial impression about you based on your agent biography, so take your time to write a powerful bio that will make people say to themselves, “This is a professional who knows what they’re talking about. I like them. And I should start paying attention to what they have to say.”

Writing a Powerful Biography

Home buyers and sellers interested in working with an agent will be searching for an agent they like and trust. So it’s your job to tell them why you’re the best agent for the job.

This is where a powerful bio comes in.

To build trust, your bio should position you as an authority and expert in real estate. It should make prospective clients feel lucky to have you as their agent. In other words, your bio is your one chance to tell them why you're the best agent out there!

When writing your bio, the #1 thing to keep in mind is that although you’re marketing yourself, it’s really not about you. Every piece of marketing should be about your client and what your potential client stands to gain from working with you. Your bio is no different.

Your agent bio should help prospective clients answer three questions their minds are intuitively asking:

What valuable real estate skills do you offer?
Why should they choose you over another agent?
Can they trust you and will they like working with you?

Here's how you can do that.

1. Establish Your Authority

The first thing you need to do is to show them you’re good at what you do and you have expert knowledge in real estate.

For instance, you might write, “I specialize in listings and help clients sell their home for more money than other agents.” Your bio then should demonstrate how you’ve helped homeowners sell their homes for the best price possible. Talk about your experience, knowledge, and accomplishments in regards to selling homes for more money (using the tips described below).

2. Build Credibility

Once you’ve established your authority, it's time to build credibility. This is where you substantiate the experience, knowledge, and accomplishments you’ve mentioned.

The key is to talk about your accomplishments in a way that’s engaging.

A lot of agents will say, “I’m the best. I’m number one. I’m this, I’m that.” But it doesn’t really mean anything. It's just noise to a potential client. They really don't care what you think. It's what they think that counts

Instead, build your credibility with a personal story or testimonial that proves you have a track record of selling homes that other agents couldn’t sell.

Now, that is a skill worth talking about.

Another example many agents use in bios and listing presentations is; “I use the latest marketing techniques to help you get more money for your house.”

Of course, everybody wants more money, but since every agent says this, it's really not very impactful. Instead, mention a case where you were able to achieve something big in your real estate journey. This could be a deal you once negotiated involving closing costs for newlyweds so they could use their money and go on a honeymoon, or how you once helped a couple who was expecting their first child with a carpet credit allowance so their home would have clean carpet (instead of pet stained floors) before the baby arrived.

Stories are powerful. Use them if you can.

3. Be Relatable & Likeable (Tell Your Story)

If you're a new agent, or you don’t have much experience, establishing authority or credibility can be a challenge. But don't worry if you don't have years of sales records to sell (no one cares about them anyway). Many clients will choose their agent simply because they can relate to or like you the best.

If selling the most homes was all that mattered, the agent who sold the most houses would always get all of the clients. But they don't. Sure, they get their fair share, but there are droves of other clients who choose their agent for reasons that have nothing to do with how many homes they sold last year.

People want to know how real you are. They want to read a bio that they can believe. You want them to see you as they read your bio.

Therefore, tell your story — a story that makes you human and not a fictional character in a book. Tell stories that people will remember and ask about in person.

Share unique stories about your life and/or your work. This is what people are truly interested in knowing about you.

Your bio should be able to tell the reader who you are and give them a quick glance into your life, both in and outside of work. Do this well and your bio will stand out from the pack.

4. Avoid Selling Yourself in Your Bio

Overselling yourself is one of the biggest mistakes agents make in their bios. Avoid using phrases that try to sell you to the prospective client, like, “I’m the best agent for the job.”

Your bio is meant to be an introduction to your readers so don't try to sell them. No one likes to be sold.

Instead of selling your services, the goal of your bio is to create a well-rounded picture of you and your experience in the industry so they will be open to working with you.

5. Keep it Short & Interesting

It can be tempting to write your whole life story in your bio, but you should resist writing a novel. Even though prospective clients are interested in finding out more about you, they don’t need to know everything.

Keep your bio short and relevant. A good bio should be about 250 words or something they can read in 30 seconds or less.

A very wise person once said, "less is more." It applies here more than ever.

6. Have Friends Help You

Admittedly, tooting your own horn without sounding like you’re bragging isn’t the easiest thing to do — and for most people, it may just seem impossible.

If you are having a hard time writing your bio, or if you feel like you’re starting to sound arrogant, invite friends and family to read what you’ve written and give input.

You could even ask someone else to write it on your behalf. There is no harm in asking for help.

What Makes You the Best Choice?

If you are struggling with what to say about yourself, take a step back and just think about what makes you unique.

Ask yourself, why should they choose you over the more experienced pro with signs all over town?

Below are a few tips to help you get started.

Develop Your Differential Advantage

One of the best ways to stand out from the crowd is to ask yourself, “Why should anyone choose me? What makes me a valuable agent?” You don’t need to complicate it. Simply find something that separates you from other agents.

Begin by looking at your specific expertise to find what sets you apart. This doesn't necessarily have to be experienced directly related to real estate — it could be knowledge gained in other professions.

For instance, if you worked in technology or social media you could discuss how nearly 90% of all buyers start their home search online and how you can help them get their home seen by more qualified buyers. Or maybe you worked in customer service so you offer personalized service for busy professionals who don't have time to handle all of the details. If you worked in retail maybe you have a great track record and awards of providing exceptional service. Or if you’re a former Interior Designer you could talk about how your staging will help clients sell their homes faster and for more money because you’re up to date on the latest trends. Getting the idea?

How to Tell Clients Why You’re Better

In describing your unique attributes, you want to get straight to the point and tell them how your skills benefit them. The sooner they are able to see what it’s in it for them, the faster they’ll be convinced to pick you over the competition.

And by soon. I mean soon!

You have about 10 seconds to establish your value as an agent, i.e., the valuable benefits you provide your clients. That's it. If you don't do this well, they'll likely stop reading your bio and never give you or your services another thought again. So make sure your first paragraph explains your value to your potential clients.

Take Your Bio Seriously

Writing your agent bio right is an important, often overlooked, marketing task. The fact that these 250 words or so are the ONLY source of information many potential clients have about you makes it a very important marketing piece that deserves more attention than it gets.

Take it seriously, get it right, and you’ll turn strangers into future real estate clients.

Here's to your success.

P.S. Want an even more suped-up agent bio? Record a video of you instead. But that topic is for another day and another article. Start with your written bio first.