Add Impact to your Bio with VISUALS!
A few decades ago, if you were writing a resume, the templates available in Microsoft Word were all the rage.
These days, template libraries have popped up everywhere and you can find templates for almost everything on sites like Etsy, Canva, and more as well as within Word. These templates go well beyond formatting a few paragraphs. They include various ways to showcase different types of information in a more-visual manner.
Now, you may not be thinking about a resume per se, but you should be thinking about how today’s trends towards being more visual affect documents like your professional bio. You may use your bio as a stand-alone document, such as at an open house, it may be a part of your buyer and listing presentations, and you may post it online or on your website. Below are some tips for ramping up the visual aspects of your bio and transforming it into a Visual Bio!
THE BIO ITSELF
The written aspect of your bio itself may be a couple of paragraphs. So how do you make that more visually interesting?
Section Headers — These can help break up the text and compartmentalize the information. Some agents have sections for Buyers, Sellers, Expertise, etc, but some take those sections a step further and add some personality. Want to focus on your track record? Terms like “How I Help My Clients Win”, “My Secret Sauce”, or “My Sellers Love My Results” will have them reading more.
Bold, Italic, Underline, and Color — If you have specific words you want to emphasize, consider adding some simple text formatting. A little goes a long way, but this is also very helpful for bios online on websites where little formatting is available. Think REALTOR.com, Zillow, etc.
Callouts — A callout is a way to give an important point some additional space and a larger font to really draw attention to it. You could even include a quote from yourself in a callout.
SHOWCASING MEMBERSHIPS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Don’t discount your relationships and accomplishments!
Memberships — These are often overlooked and not included by agents, but if you subscribe to this magazine, you are a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, Washington REALTORS®, and your local REALTOR® Association. Your dues go towards helping support homeownership in this country and you adhere to a strict code of ethics. That in and of itself should be celebrated, so add those logos which provides an opportunity to discuss their importance. Are you a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, or other community organization? Include these logos too if you are able to do so.
Certifications and Designations — How about any certifications or designations you have earned? Include those logos. Even GRI has a logo!
Awards — Have you won any awards or recognition for production or your service? Consider adding these. It may be possible to add logos, although some agents struggle since they may have earned an award at a previous brokerage. Some awards also require the broker to pay for the privilege of using their logo, so just make sure you have permission to use the logo before including it on your bio.
ORGANIZATIONS YOU SUPPORT
What organizations or causes are you committed to? Share your passion for helping others with your potential clients. Include those logos too if possible. If you have a giving schedule, such as you give a certain percentage of your commission or a specific dollar amount per transaction, consider sharing that information that as well. Is your work more hands-on? You can list specific events you volunteer for or general number of hours per year.
THE NUMBERS
What numbers represent your business? Consider these options:
Year licensed
Total transactions
Buyers helped
Sellers helped
Different types of properties sold (residential, condos, land, waterfront, luxury, etc)
You can also include your stats for average days on market, sales to list price ratio, and more, although you may have enough stats to show off to require a whole other Track Record of Success sheet. If you can, add icons to represent each data set.
TESTIMONIALS
Adding a testimonial or two from a client is a great way to add some personality. Make it more visual by doing two things:
If your client gave you a five-star rating, why not add five-star graphics to your bio?
Use text formatting, bold, italic, underline, or even color to highlight the most-important sentence in the bio. For example, if your client said you were a Real Estate Rockstar, that would be the point to highlight.
OTHER SECTION IDEAS
What other important aspects about your work is important for potential clients to know? Remember, think like your potential client and include things they would care about. For example, if you worked previously at Nordstrom or a luxury spa, you probably know a thing or two about customer service. Were you a teacher or a nurse in a previous career? Those both require strong attention-to-detail. Or perhaps you got a degree from a prestigious school that pertains to the work you do now. Don’t underestimate the connections you can make by highlighting these stopping points on your path to real estate as they have likely made you the agent you are today.
It is time to take your bio to the next level by making it more visual and inclusive of all the different things you bring to the table. It is a celebration of you and why you are a great candidate for the job!