With more than 810 million users across 200 countries, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site in the world. And for corporate real estate brokers looking to grow their brand and expand their client base, LinkedIn offers virtually endless opportunities. No matter your specialty, you’ll find potential prospects and industry peers to help you reach your goals.
But how do you attract promising leads and establish authentic connections that lead to lucrative relationships? After all, with so much content and activity filling users’ news feeds and inboxes, it can be challenging to stand out from the noise.
In this post, we’re covering the three things highly successful CRE brokers do to grow their LinkedIn following and convert their connections to business.
Optimize your profile
When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, or they find you through a search, they’ll likely make a rapid judgment about you. That’s why it’s crucial you ensure your profile is well-polished, approachable, professional, and informative.
Here are a few ways you can optimize your profile for success
Professional, updated profile and header images. Select a professional, recent, high-resolution headshot with a natural smile. Avoid distracting backgrounds, and ensure you’re the only person in the frame. Then, select a header image that’s relevant to your work. For example, you might choose a well-composed skyline shot of the city you serve. Some brokers add a banner on top of their header image with their website and contact information.
Search-optimized headline. Keep your headline short and direct, and include terms someone may use when searching for your services. For example, “Commercial Real Estate Broker at KW Commercial” or “Commercial Real Estate Broker Serving Greater Boston.”
Enticing about section. The about section is your opportunity to share information that may not be immediately obvious by reviewing your work history. This is your chance to add color to your professional story and showcase your personality and accomplishments. Write about why you love what you do and what drove you to your current role. Quantify any achievements that might be relevant to your target market. And don’t be afraid to inject a bit of humor, so long as it’s appropriate and feels natural.
Add relevant licenses and certifications. Include all certifications and licenses you’ve earned to demonstrate your experience and expertise.
Request recommendations. You can talk all day about how great you are at your job, but it’s always more powerful when it comes from someone else. Use the LinkedIn recommendation feature to ask colleagues and previous clients to share their experiences working with you.
Gain followers and connections
Your follower count may be a vanity metric, but it’s also an indicator of how well-connected you are in your industry.
There are four things you can do to grow your followers, connections, and engagement
Post consistently. While we don’t know precisely how LinkedIn’s algorithm chooses who to prioritize in news feeds, we do know that consistently posting compelling content seems to earn users better placement. It’s also an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your expertise. Share tips and advice that help prospects make better decisions when buying or listing property, comment on market trends, and discuss research insights.
Use relevant hashtags. Add 2 - 3 hashtags at the end of each post to help increase its reach and get your content in front of new audiences. Be sure to follow relevant hashtags to see what your industry peers are sharing and get ideas for your own content.
Engage with other posts. Comment on trending posts from well-respected industry experts and top posts under the hashtags you follow. Engaging in discussions will help you gain exposure and introduce you to fresh perspectives and new ideas.
Avoid linking to pages outside LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s algorithm is designed to keep people engaged with the platform, meaning posts that link to outside content receive fewer views. To maximize your posts’ reach and engagement, avoid links that lead to other websites.
Take advantage of groups
Online professional networking has existed for several years, but it surged during the pandemic. Now, people are accustomed to connecting with like-minded professionals in spaces like LinkedIn Groups.
Simply search “commercial real estate” to find groups of peers, or look for groups that cater to local business leaders who may be potential prospects. After joining a group, start discussions and answer other users’ questions to showcase your expertise. If you’re unsure which groups to join, check out which groups your favorite CRE thought leaders, colleagues, or clients follow.
Building up your LinkedIn network and growing your engagement can seem like a time-consuming endeavor, but it’s not something you have to do overnight. Start by spending just 15 to 20 minutes each day optimizing your profile, publishing posts, and exploring groups, and you’ll be amazed at how much potential you’ll unearth.
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