The importance of credibility in the property industry cannot be underestimated. Learning how to boost your online credibility should be a high priority for your business. Without it, you’re just another one of the hundreds of thousands of faceless minions competing for the dwindling supply of available properties. That may seem harsh, but it’ll get worse before it gets better. Just thought I’d let you know.
In this post, you’ll learn all about:
- Why is credibility important for getting more inquiries?
- How can I showcase expertise to stand out?
- What’s the benefit of video for credibility?
- How do I get more online reviews?
and so much more. Your perfect prospects deserve to know all about you. This is how you do it.
I’ll show you how to stand out from your competitors and how to build credibility as a property professional online. I’ll also touch on some of the other benefits you’ll see when you take this aspect of your business seriously.
Credibility = Increased Bookings and Inquiries
This may be something you are already familiar with, or it could surprise you. I would be worried if the latter were so, but some of you may not have given this much thought.
The more credible you are, the more people will trust you and your brand.
Incredible. Who would have thought it? And, there’s more…
The more people trust your brand, the more enquiries you’ll get.
Okay, yes, I am being a little facetious. But there’s a good reason, which I’ll get to shortly. First, let’s look at some evidence of this startling reality we find ourselves in. (Sorry, I’ll be more serious now.) Maybe. 😉
- Rightmove found that properties listed by agents with a high customer satisfaction rating received 23% more inquiries than those with a lower rating.
- The property management company HomeLet found that landlords who use a reputable agent are more likely to let their property quickly and for a higher rent.
- Keller Williams found that 94% of homebuyers say credibility is the most important factor when choosing an estate agent.
Other reports come to similar conclusions, but when you stop to think about it, there’s nothing revelatory about these findings. It also doesn’t matter which part of the property sector you cover either. Let’s face it: for most people, this is almost certainly the largest purchase of their life.
Whether you’re the
- Estate Agent
- Valuer
- Solicitor
- Mortgage Broker
- Insurance Broker
- Surveyor
- Building Inspector
- Removal Company
people want the best level of service and information available in a timely and professional manner. They certainly do not want to be dealing with dozens of problems and continually chasing for resolutions.
If they find the right people, the downsides of buying a home are less likely to rear their ugly heads.
The Lack of Credible Property Professionals
The main problem in the UK property market isn’t that there aren’t excellent agents and brokers. It’s just so damned tricky to find them.
Sure, more businesses are focusing on getting more and better online reviews. A few are even creating the odd testimonials or case studies.
However, when you consider that in 2022, there were over 200,000 estate agents in the UK, how will anyone ever find the best agent? When you add the hundreds of thousands of people in the various related industries surrounding the property sector, you can start to see the scale of the problem.
Establishing a Strong Online Presence
One of the problems with modern society is that as we get more technologically advanced, we are getting more isolated. I know, not what you might expect, but it’s true. In the past, before the Internet, people had no choice but to create larger communities. Word-of-mouth was a significant part of business, and a handshake or verbal agreement was common practice.
Today, the world is at our disposal, and we can find almost anything we want in a few clicks.
Or so we think. If that were the case, why is it so difficult to determine who the best estate agent or mortgage broker is in our area?
You Are Your Best Advocate
With the various online directories, review sites and billions of company websites. It’s easy to imagine that all the information about all the services and people is already out there. Of course, everything is ready to find and review.
While that may have been true in 1984 (the book, that is), today, we have to blow our own trumpet. For now, at least.
If you want people to know that you are one of the good ones, you must let them know. Write about it, publish it, and promote it. If you don’t, nobody else will do it for you.
The first step in building your credibility is demonstrating you know what you’re talking about by publishing what you know. For some, this might seem counterintuitive, but it will all make sense by the end of this post.
Just know this: being a trusted property professional is your responsibility. Don’t wait for others to spread the word. You must work at it if you want people to know, like, and trust you and your brand. As I said, nobody will do this for you, well, unless you pay them too.
This is the one thing that so few property experts do; it’s a wonder that any of you survive.
Crafting a Professional Website
This is where most people start when they set up their business. Unfortunately, this is where most people end their endeavours to publish and promote themselves.
A website that doesn’t change often is also known as a digital business card.
If you want a business card to promote your services, you can get 10,000 printed for very little. You just need to distribute them around your area.
Seriously, that will probably be a better investment than a static website. More people will know about you, too.
Importance of a well-designed website
If you want to be taken seriously, you can’t publish a poor website nowadays. Everything has to be just so, and if it isn’t, well, there are a few dozen others that your perfect prospects can go and look up.
Ensuring everything is up to date, legally compliant, fast, and simple to navigate are your main concerns regarding your website.
One of the easiest ways to keep updating your website is to consistently create expert content and post. This will keep not only your perfect prospects happy but Google, too. More on that soon.
Showcasing previous work and testimonials
For estate agents, just putting a sold sign on a property can show signs of previous work. But really, even estate agents should be trying much harder. Signs don’t last very long after all.
If everyone is doing it, it’s pretty much the same as nobody doing it.
What everyone is not doing is creating a dedicated space on their website for testimonials and case studies. And I’m not talking about the little carousel of a dozen anonymous names with a one-liner underneath that most agencies seem to have.
No, instead, you want to speak with your clients that you had to work particularly hard for and explain that telling their story will help you help others in the same situation they were in.
Not everyone will say Yes. But those that do will make a superb advertorial for you, your services, and the commitment your future clients can expect.
Why Content is King: Demonstrating Expertise
You may recall that I was a little witty and off-hand with a few remarks at the top of this post. This is where I explain in more detail how and why being more credible translates into more enquiries and, ultimately, more clients.
I’ve already touched on the high number of people working as property experts in the UK. Also, people’s networks are getting smaller. I’m not talking about your followers on social media; I mean the people you know and trust that you can call up about a problem or issue you’re facing. So, what does this mean for you?
Quite simply, whenever anyone starts looking for the service you provide, they have no idea who you are. While they might figure out what you do, they won’t know how well you do it, or why.
You could be the very best at what you do. It will make no difference to anyone looking for you if you don’t appear on Google when they look for answers.
If you don’t promote yourself by publishing about yourself, your services and your brand, you will remain the best-kept secret in your area. NOBODY WILL FIND YOU. Okay, almost nobody.
Blogging for Authority
One of the easiest ways to build authority is to demonstrate your expertise by writing and talking about what you do and how you do it. This is why you need a content goldmine.
What is a Content Goldmine?
A content goldmine is a collection of well-researched, well-written posts that are nice to look at while solving the problems your perfect prospects face. If you want to know more, I’ve written an article called “What is a Content Goldmine” here.
While figuring out what to write about might seem daunting at first, you’ll soon pick it up with a bit of guidance and a lot of practice. Hint: I’ve written a book that will help you achieve this. 😉
A content goldmine also extends into creating your videos and promoting your content on social media and via your email and messenger lists. Finally, you’ll learn how to create content upgrades that will capture the details of your perfect prospects, allowing you to follow up with even more value until they are ready to become your next 5* reviewing client.
Setting up a property blog
If you’ve never created a blog post before and you’re not even sure if your website has one, the chances are, it does.
It may need to be activated or, more likely, just need a link added to your main menu, but most websites are blog-capable and ready these days. If not, moving to another platform is often reasonably painless. If not, and a complete redesign is required, a little short-term pain for the long-term gain will be well worth it.
Topics that resonate with your target audience
To allow people to find you so that you can demonstrate your experience and expertise, you’ll need to talk about what your perfect prospects want to know about.
One of the easiest ways to get started is to answer questions you’re asked whenever you meet a new prospect.
List your top 10 or 20 most frequently asked questions, and you have your starting point for a content goldmine.
Maintaining a regular posting schedule
Whilst it might be tempting to jump on the blogging bandwagon and start publishing your latest masterpiece immediately, you should know a few things first.
Consistency is key.
While the posting schedule is essential, consistency also extends into many other areas of your content goldmine.
Your message, values, stories, and even the layout of your content will become a part of your branding.
This is not something you want to rush into. Having a plan for what you’ll write about and how you research and present it will impact your creation process.
It will be highly beneficial for you to create several posts before posting your first. You won’t understand how long each post will take until you start your creative process. Having several posts as backups until you know precisely how much time you need to allocate for content creation is a good move.
Video Marketing
While creating an in-depth article that solves a specific problem is a giant leap forward from where you are, it won’t be nearly as effective as a video of you saying the same thing.
While people can get the answers they need from the written word, trust and rapport are built more easily face-to-face. A video of you walking your perfect prospects through the steps to overcome their issues can instantly make a more personal connection, whereas the written word is far less likely to achieve this. It still happens, just not as often.
The power of video content
If you’re not already using video to promote your services and brand, the chances of you standing out as a credible source of information are very low.
I’m hoping you already know this to be the case and just haven’t got around to implementing it just yet. However, some of you might need convincing, so here are a couple of stats for you to consider.
- 63% of businesses use video marketing. (HubSpot)
- 83% of video marketers say that video helps them generate leads. (HubSpot)
- 87% of marketers feel that video has a direct, positive impact on sales. (Wyzowl)
- 96% of marketers agree that videos have helped increase user understanding of their product or service. (Wyzowl)
If you accept that it will never be possible to speak with every lead in person and nurture them through to being a client, the next best thing is to show up when somebody wants an answer and searches online.
Video is, by far, the best way to do that.
Aside from the increased ease in building trust and rapport, it can lead to better brand awareness while increasing the likelihood of them choosing your services because they’ve made an emotional connection with you as the property expert who helped them understand and solve their issue.
Property tours to informative videos
The reason that property tours and walk-throughs are gaining in popularity is that people love consuming videos. It’s easy, quick, and convenient.
If you’re already using video to show off your latest instructions, you’ll have a good idea of the increased attention they generate. The same is true for your posts.
Making a video for every post will give your prospects a choice they’re not getting everywhere. This alone will set you apart from your competitors. But when they hear your content’s quality and depth, you’ll become memorable.
Webinars and Workshops
Depending on what part of the property market you service, webinars and workshops are excellent ways of getting an in-depth topic delivered to your potential clients in a structured way.
What’s great about them is that once you’ve run through live versions a couple of times, you’ll start getting to know what’s needed to create a top-rate recording. You can then promote it as an evergreen training programme. It might take dozens or even a hundred live run-throughs before your presentation is perfect. However, the time saved in the long run and improved results are well worth the effort.
Webinars and live training are considerable areas to cover and are way beyond this post’s scope. However, as a way to build credibility, hosting online webinars and workshops to share knowledge and expertise with your audience through educational content is right up there with blogging and videos. I would urge you to look into them and see if they could work for your business.
Don’t forget that you can also leverage other experts using this format. It doesn’t have to be just you. If you’re an estate agent, for example, and want to educate first-time buyers about how to get the best
mortgage, host with an independent mortgage broker. Maybe you’re covering legal issues a first-time buyer might face, so you team up with a solicitor. Then you can discuss gazundering, boundary issues and leasehold with an authority. There is a huge opportunity here since collaborations will increase your perceived credibility, too.
Building Trust Through Reviews and Testimonials
Social proof has become essential to all property professions. How you present those reviews can have an even more significant impact if you think it through.
If you go to a website and you only get that little carousel of a dozen anonymous names with a one-liner underneath, does that really inspire any confidence in that service provider as a trusted expert?
Now, what about if you were to drop onto a website that has a carousel of videos with and expert talking to their clients? These testimonials have a one-liner and a video of the client actually saying it, which links to the full interview.
Does that inspire confidence in that service provider as a trusted expert?
Now we’re getting somewhere. Of course, it does. It’s REAL proof. It’s something you can relate to, and any doubts that might have popped up in the back of your mind are instantly dispelled.
Encouraging Reviews
If you’re not currently engaging with every client once you’ve completed delivering your service, you need to start, today.
You’ll need to be delicate about it, and respectful. You’ll also need to be careful not to dismiss the potential impact a poor review can have on your business.
Requesting feedback from satisfied clients
You may feel that you’ve done the best job and everything has gone well, but it does not mean your client feels the same way.
Before asking for a review, you need to know what your client will say. There are ways you can do this without being obvious, but just sending a link to a review site is never a good idea.
Getting feedback, understanding where you can improve, and working out what will most impact your clients should already be part of your business plan. If it’s not, then building credibility will be all the more challenging since you cannot master what you do not measure.
Utilising review platforms like Trustpilot and Google Reviews
Part of your reviewing process will be deciding which platform you want to promote. Of course, any client can leave a review anywhere you show up online with a review option, but you can influence their choice.
Many businesses only utilise the one-liner testimonial carousel on their website because they don’t have many good reviews. This is not as much of a problem for newer property professionals. However, established businesses must encourage as many people as possible to leave reviews. Reviews are essential to boosting credibility.
Once you get to a point where you have started getting regular reviews, ensure that your website has links or embeds them so that all your visitors can see them.
Addressing Negative Feedback
While this is more likely on a social media post, you need to be prepared for poor reviews. It will happen if you get big enough and provide your service long enough.
In my book, Automated Property Leads Forever, I have a very in-depth section about handling trolls and negative feedback on social media. It covers several pages and has a handy checklist at the end.
Here are some pointers I touch on:
Responding professionally to criticism is naturally what we expect from any company we complain to. So, it goes without saying that anybody complaining about you will expect the same. Therefore, you must have a plan and be ready for any negativity, no matter where you encounter it.
No knee-jerk reactions or heated responses are allowed here.
Demonstrating a commitment to improvement with a plan on how you will achieve that with thanks for the opportunity to improve your service will turn even the most argumentative troll into a seemingly unreasonable tyrant in the face of a well-thought-out and humble response.
Any time you encounter a less-than-flattering comment, brainstorm how to turn a negative experience into a positive outcome. It will not only make you feel good about yourself, but it will demonstrate that no matter the problem a client might face, you’re the type of person they would want to deal with it.
Leveraging Social Media
Of course, I can’t talk about building a credible online presence without talking about social media.
Naturally, your social profiles will tell your leads who you are and what you do. But, more than anything else, demonstrating what you do and why will position you as a credible source of information.
This is another area where your efforts to build a content goldmine pay off.
Think about what you see every other company offering your service posting on social media.
Is it informative?
Is it inspirational?
Does it demonstrate their expertise?
Can a potential client see their content and say, “I can see how that would work for me!”.
Maybe a piece of content has an unforgettable hook, a fantastic image, and a really catchy sub-headline. But, if the content is just an advertisement about their service, the latest deal, or a unique one-time get-it-while-it-lasts offer, then most people will not see it as anything other than what it is.
For most, that will be a waste of their time and not what they were looking for.
Stand Out Social Media Content
So many people see their social media channels as a “place to advertise”. To be a credible property expert, you need to shift your focus.
Social media is a place to deliver value. Yes, you can also advertise there, but that should be secondary to the value you provide first and foremost. If you feel you need to promote, use the 80/20 rule. 80% content, 20% promotions.
Fortunately, repurposing your content goldmine into social content is a relatively simple process. If you’re really on the ball, when you create your videos for your posts, you can easily add several additional takes that can be used exclusively for your social channels.
Networking and Collaborations
I spoke briefly about working with other property professionals in the Webinars and Workshops section. Still, there is no reason you couldn’t guest on other experts’ content regularly or them on yours.
As well as interviewing experts, you can go the other way and look at your community. You could talk to the people who are being helped by projects or community events you’re involved in. Any initiatives that help the locals can be considered a worthy addition to your content goldmine.
If you’ve joint ventured with others, then that could be another source of interesting discussions.
One of the ways you boost your credibility as a property professional is to quote and reference other experts. If you have a discussion on video and then mention your source in the post, it adds much more authority.
Joining Professional Associations
I want to think that you’re already a member of a few professional associations. If not, you should seriously consider joining one, if not more, as soon as possible.
The benefits of joining property-related associations go far beyond the newsletters and occasional meetings you might attend. The networking and skill development opportunities are well worth the price of admission.
You may also be allowed to display association logos on your website, which will help cement your position as a trusted and credible expert.
Staying Updated and Informed
If you’re not writing about all the new and improved best practices, industry standards, and upcoming changes to how you should conduct your business, how will anyone know you’re doing it?
I’m serious. Think about it.
How are you letting your leads, perfect prospects, and clients know that you are staying on top of the ever-changing landscape of the UK property market?
Continuous Learning
Many assume that experts are constantly learning and improving their knowledge and skills. I would argue that many don’t. This will always be in the back of your prospect’s mind unless you’ve done something to demonstrate that you are one of the experts who continually improve their knowledge.
The evolving nature of the property industry can easily be summed up in something like, oh, I don’t know, a regularly updated content goldmine that deep dives into all aspects of the services you provide with insights and updates about all the recent and future updates.
Investing in professional development and certifications
Your prospects may not care as much about your qualifications if you already demonstrate your expertise by sharing your vast knowledge and experience through your content. However, the earlier your prospect is in their search, the more relevant your credentials are.
Since many still regard certifications and qualifications as proof of ability, despite us knowing better, it is still worth the investment since the credibility they portray, however small, adds to your overall image as the go-to property expert in your area.
Sharing newfound knowledge with your audience
I would argue that any course, certification or qualification you’re studying for is the perfect opportunity to share what you learn, as you learn it.
When you have to sit down and plan out a new piece of expert content based on something you’ve just learnt, and also have to explain to an audience in simple terms because they don’t have your background and expertise, it will ensure you know what you’re talking about.
When you can take a new concept, reorganise its structure, and explain it in layman’s terms, you truly become a master.
Industry News and Updates
Keeping abreast of market trends and changes is, of course, a part of your interest in property and will be a regular part of your working life.
The best way to use this part of your hobby/interest/job/passion is to take a little time and think about how it will affect your prospects and clients.
Even if the impact is indirect, minor, or will affect a small number of your clients, the fact that you can take a step back, see the big picture, and then explain how and why this change is relevant will not be lost on many of your audience.
A lot of your clients will be experts in their own fields, and that will make them smart in many different areas. For example, I am an expert IT professional with more than a passing familiarity with writing and marketing. I can spot an excellent communicator of ideas in another area as easily as I can spot a blagger in my own areas of expertise.
A Shining Example
One person, well, actually, it’s a husband/wife team who I’ve recently started following on social media is Alex Hormozi and his wife Leila. Between them, they give such fantastic advice on so many aspects of sales, marketing, and building a successful business that I would
recommend anyone following them, no matter what they are trying to achieve online. They come across as genuine and deliver themselves what they tell others they should be doing. Giving value is, first and foremost, their advice, and they do that in spades. Check them out. You won’t regret it.
The same will be true of many of your clients. Even if academic excellence is not required for some, their emotional intelligence could be off the charts and still give them insights into your greatness. But only if you put it out there for them to find.
Positioning yourself as a trusted source of industry information
When you start to think about every little aspect of the property industry as an opportunity to create an in-depth piece of content to explain the what, how, and why of it, you’ll be providing a service for your prospects and clients, as well as your peers.
This is the foundation of a content goldmine and your ticket to being seen as your area’s best-known, most trusted agent. You’re in the right place if that’s the level of credibility you’re looking for.
Here’s a quick example:
Let’s take a top ten most-asked question and consider how you might turn that into an expert piece of content instead of a one-line answer in the Q&A section of your website.
For this example, I will assume that you are an estate agent looking to provide a service to landlords in Barnet.
You want to create a post about “What are your fees?”. Instead of posting a price list or saying, “We are a bespoke agent and tailor our fees depending on your requirements.” YAAAAWN. You could instead create an outline like this:
Click the Image for a copy of the demonstration outline I created for “What are your fees?”.
I have included notes in the document to help you.
About the Demo Outline
While this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to creating an in-depth blog post, I hope that it shows you how much more value you can give when you’re prepared to go the extra mile. All of my blogs start out like this. They end up being something, well, almost exactly like – this.
If you’re an expert at anything, you can use a structure like this to order your thoughts and ensure that you flow through the topic and don’t miss anything. As you write, some things will need adding, others removing. You don’t have to “stick to the script” as it were. It’s your script; change it as required.
Just so that you know, that particular outline was created with AI assistance. It was edited a fair amount, as usual, and the notes are all mine. I did ask the AI to help me remind people to add stories to their content, so it added a story prompt for every section. That often won’t be realistic and could make a post enormous, so if you were to start using outlines like this, you wouldn’t need a story for every section. 😊
Measuring and Showcasing Success
The only way to know for sure that your efforts at building a credible platform for your perfect prospects to consume is to monitor your results.
I discuss this in more detail in this post: How to Measure Your Content Success.
When you can see that your content goldmine starts to get more attention from Google, that is to say, they send you more visitors, then you can be sure you’re on the right path.
Your viewing figures will be imposing for other property professionals when you’ve been doing it long enough. This is also something that you will be able to leverage. While it might seem like showing off, your viewing figures, particularly when driven by organic reach, demonstrate that you’re effectively servicing your audience.
How Credible Are You?
The journey to credibility as a property professional will not be quick or easy. If you’ve been in property for a long time and are only now realising that you need to be seen as the go-to expert online but haven’t put the work in, I’m not going to lie; you have a bit of catching up to do.
However, it’s not all bad news.
The process is relatively simple and can be learned in a few weeks.
To be a credible source, you have to prove it. The best way to achieve that is by creating a content goldmine. If you can’t be looked up at 3 o’clock on a Sunday morning and have all the answers that demonstrate you’re the right person to talk to, then you won’t get as many enquiries as the agent who does.
It’s really as simple as that. You need to be seen as the go-to agent in your area. Whether you are the best is less of a deciding factor as to whether people will speak with you than you might think.
The best bit about this process is that if you’re not the best yet, by the time you’ve finished creating your content goldmine, you’ll be right up there with the best of them. You’ll have no choice. When you do the work required to be seen as the best, you’ll become the best by the nature of the creation process.
If you already are the best-kept secret in your area, then you’ll be able to build your content goldmine that much quicker and start reaping the rewards all the sooner.
You have a promising future with increased bookings and inquiries once you demonstrate to everyone that you are a credible source of information and know what you’re doing.
Get Started Today
If you want a shortcut, everything you need to get started is in my book, Automated Property Leads Forever. Get your copy here:
If you don’t get started today, then when? I’m juuuuuust saying. 😉
