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Commercial Appraiser Branding – 3 Things to Get You Started
[fusion_dropcap boxed=”no” boxed_radius=”” class=”” id=”” color=””]M[/fusion_dropcap]any commercial real estate appraisers are proud that they focus on their profession. Therefore, they are not worried about marketing or branding. So, they often ask why commercial appraiser branding is even a concept they need to consider. I’ve heard them say, “I just get on the lists for local banks and hope they call.”
However, hope is not a plan. Presenting your business to the marketplace is important. Here is a short primer on creating your “brand.”
First, What is Branding?
In the competitive world of business, standing out from the pack is a goal of every company. Branding, is the art and skill of distinguishing your unique qualities. Your brand is your company’s public identity, the way you are perceived by your customers and colleagues in the markets you serve, and “your promise to your customer.” In thinking about brand, we usually envision a graphic component or logo serving as a flagship identifier; however, the real essence of a brand is intangible. The graphic itself helps you remember the company and its qualities.
For example, Morning Consult, a leader in Brand Intelligence, does extensive research in this area and completed a project in 2019 with 400,000 survey interviews regarding 1,900 companies to identify America’s most loved and trusted brands. This project measured consumer sentiment for favorability, trust, community impact, and more. Here are the most loved brands:
What is Commercial Appraiser Branding?
First, let’s identify what an appraiser’s brand is. Appraisers are professional service providers. They give a skillfully researched, unbiased, opinion of value. The output is usually in a written report, for various financial, legal, and ownership entities in real estate. Branding is the marketing activity that solidifies your company’s message and manages your public persona and reputation. It’s important to be proactive. Be intentional, take control, and drive the message of who you are and what you do.
Secondly, how do you maximize your brand? An appraisal firm, whether small, medium, or large needs at a minimum:
- A crisp, clean logo that is present in all communications
- A website that gives a clear concise message that describes your services. It states what about you makes you different from other appraisers in your market.
- Modern technology tools that present a high-quality report that is succinct and easy to read.
For far too many appraisers, everything on their website looks dated. A logo, if any, pops up sporadically or in different shapes and sizes. It appears as if it was built on the cheap years ago and has been ignored and neglected ever since. Reports look bloated and repetitive because each one is simply made by opening the last assignment and typing over it.
Branding Presence and Perception Matters
Why? Granted, a good website and technology tools will not fix a poor appraiser or a sloppy report. Conversely, an excellent appraiser who produces reliable reports might have an ugly website and archaic tools. Nevertheless, your digital presence sends a message. Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab did the research. 46% of people said a website’s design is the #1 criterion for discerning credibility of professional service providers.
If your website is ugly and outdated (or you don’t have one at all), it sends a message. Is business bad? Maybe you just don’t care or you’re not technologically competent. Are you a valuation professional who wants to stand out from the pack? Take time to solidify your messaging with a current digital presence. Get a clean, modern website. Also, maintain a current profile on LinkedIn. Don’t forget modern technology tools. The design of your reports (a whole blog in itself) sends a message about your professional attention to detail. Like America’s most loved brands, demonstrate that you are innovative, and can deliver what your customer wants, with excellence.
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