• The key to writing a compelling bio is to be yourself and sell your skills in a paragraph or so.

It can be a little daunting to write about yourself, especially in a bio that all of your clients and colleagues will read. It’s your first chance to make a good impression. You don’t want to write too much, or too little. You want to come off as confident, but you don’t want to seem arrogant. It can be tough to figure out where to draw the line.

But the truth is, there’s more to writing a real estate bio than just word-smithing your resume into submission. Here are six key points to remember when you’re writing your real estate bio.

What can I say?

Of course you’ll want to start with any relevant education and work experience. You’ll also want to include the following:

  • Numbers (300 homes sold) and awards (Top Realtor in my office for three years running) are great too.
  • If you’re new to real estate, you can talk about transferable skills from other industries or play up the strengths of your office or team.
  • If you’re a member of any real estate professional organizations or community groups, that’s great to add. But be sure to help your readers connect the dots. How does doing that make you a better real estate agent?

Should I get personal?

Gerard Bisignano, partner and head of marketing at Vista Sotheby’s International Realty, requests bios from all prospective agents as a recruiting tool.

“In sales you’re always looking for the common points. If you share an alma mater or your kids play in the same league, that’s sometimes enough to get you a meeting,” he said.

Speaking of personality, the tone of your bio should always be professional, but it’s also OK for it to sound like you.

How to get started?

Turn off the English teacher in your head and dive in. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott talks about the “shitty first draft.”

In other words, don’t expect to produce Shakespeare-level material right out of the gate. First, just get it all out there. Once you have it all “on the page,” you can go back and refine.

Be your own best friend

If modesty is giving you writer’s block, try imagining what your best friend would write about you. (Not the one who’s always jealous of your commissions — the other one.)

Why not take a break from your keyboard and call her up? Let her tell you why she would hire you. Don’t forget to take notes.

Say it out loud

I say it to my son writing his freshman English papers, and I say it to you now. After you’ve done your horrible first draft. After you’ve phoned a friend. After you’ve gone back and polished and you think it’s done, read it again — out loud.

You’ll know exactly where you’re at, and what (if anything) you need to add or subtract.

Leave ’em wanting more

Unless you’re a seasoned pro (and even then) a bio should not be longer than a paragraph. Your goal isn’t to publish a memoir — it’s to give just enough information in an engaging way to inspire confidence and get that meeting.

Remember, you want people to want to get to know you better, so start with a well-written paragraph, and follow it up with your winning personality and skill.

Brenna Humphreys is co-founder and creative director at Walkthrough Productions. You can follow her on Twitter (@brenhumphreys) or LinkedIn.

Email Brenna Humphreys.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×