6 Easy Steps to Grow Your Personal Brand and Become a Magnet for Private Finance as a Property Investor

The property market has never been as competitive as it is today. With an influx of weekend courses teaching people how to go from employee to a ‘financially free property investor’, there are now more people than ever trying to build relationships with estate agents and secure potential properties at a substantial discount.

But the secret behind the training, the real information that is being shared, is how to raise private finance. Or, in simpler terms, how to borrow money from other people to build a property portfolio without using your own cash.

Raising finance is the key to building and scaling a property portfolio quickly, but with so much competition out there trying to do the same thing, it’s no easy task. So, the way to beat everyone else to the mark and become a magnet for investment is to build a personal brand.

A personal brand is much like a business brand, and the goal of it is to build notoriety, attract investment and, most importantly, make you more credible. In this article, we explore how you can build a brand that’s as powerful as any well-known business, and use it to attract private finance that you can use to build or scale your property portfolio.

What is a Personal Brand?

We’ve all heard of branding in business. Large companies like Adidas and Disney are household names that have their own ‘personality’. With Adidas, you expect high-quality, reliable clothing and sportswear. With Disney, you expect family-friendly films with a hint of magic. You recognise these brands from an image alone, or their slogans. And, when you see these brands, they give you a certain feeling.

A personal brand is much the same. It’s basically what you portray to the world, and what you become known for. A prospective investor might have never met you, but your social media (and any other platforms you feature on) should all align with a very specific message. Personal branding is just like a personality, it’s unique to you and tells people who you are.

More importantly, a personal brand builds trust and credibility. A strong brand shows people that you’re a professional who knows what you’re doing, and not another ‘weekend warrior’ who’s chancing at trying to borrow money.

What Should Your Personal Brand Be?

The key to building a personal brand is to be authentic. By being you, you’ll automatically be unique and stand out from the crowd. There’s only one of you on the planet. If you try to be someone else, then you’ll become like everyone else. Plus, serious investors can spot unauthentic people from a mile away. If you’re not being honest, they’ll know, and your brand will crumble.

Always be honest. If you’re just starting and you have little experience, then say this. Document your journey and the lessons you’re learning. People will buy into that. On the other hand, if you have experience, then showcase your projects and talk about your past.

If you try to please everyone, then you’ll appeal to no one. Don’t be scared to express your views. If you’re not a corporate person, then don’t wear a suit and tie. Only ever wear, act and do the things that come naturally to you.

Take some time to work on how you want to come across online. Do you want to appear to be an expert in a certain strategy, or do you want to be more of a vlogger who documents their progress, showcasing the highs and the lows? Decide how you want to be perceived, and start creating content that matches that.

Advice for Building a Personal Brand

How to Build a Personal Brand- Networking events

Now you know how you want to come across, the next step is to get your name out. If you have a big marketing budget, then you might look at paid means of doing this. For example, you might run a Facebook ads campaign targeting high-net-worths, or you might set up a personal website.

However, for the sake of this article, we are going to explore ways of boosting your profile that cost very little-if any-money.

Our first advice is to leverage established networks that have a large following of your ideal clients. If you want to raise finance to buy property, then this audience is likely going to be wealthy individuals, like business owners or other property investors.

A good starting point is to attend networking events. Show up regularly and build a relationship with the hosts and attendees. Most events allow you to stand up and deliver an ‘elevator pitch’ to the room. You should absolutely do this, even if it feels uncomfortable. It’s a surefire way to get your name out there and put your personality across. It’s the first (and easiest) stepping stone to becoming known by a community.

From here, ask the host if you can present. Our advice is to look at ways you can add value to the room. For example, you could run a short presentation on how property investment works, or conduct a keynote on a specific investment strategy. If you’re new to property, then tell people your story and the lessons you have learned along the way.

How to Use a Personal Brand to Raise Finance- Online Options

There are people in the industry who have large followings online, usually through a podcast or YouTube channel. A great way to get your name out to a large number of people in one go is to appear as a guest on these platforms.

What all platform owners are looking for is good content. If you can explain to podcast hosts or YouTube channel owners that you either have an interesting story or some expertise to share with their audience, then they’re likely to want to interview you.

The trick with this, especially if you’re starting out, is to emphasise the value that you add to their listeners. If their platform is large enough, then the host is likely inundated with people asking for free features. Explain to them why you’d make a fantastic guest, and why their listeners need to hear what you have to say. Everyone is an expert in something!

How to Build a Personal Brand- Social Media

It’s no surprise that social media plays a huge part in personal branding. However, don’t confuse this with becoming an ‘influencer’. You do not need thousands of likes to generate investor interest through social media, you just need to be followed and noticed by the right people.

Many property professionals who have raised finance through social media have stated that the investors who followed them never interacted with their posts before reaching out. Basically, just because your post isn’t getting 100 likes does not mean that there isn’t someone watching who’s thinking of working with you. So, be careful what you put out there, and stay consistent.

On the topic of consistency, there are mixed messages about how frequently you should post online, and on what platforms. Our advice is to ensure that whatever you post is quality content and focus on that quality rather than how often you post. Would you rather have one post a week that speaks to your target audience and impresses them, or would you rather have five posts that have been cobbled together with no real purpose to them?
You’ll have heard the adage “people buy from people”, so ensure that your posts have some personality and flare to them. Don’t be afraid to crack a joke or mention your hobbies. If you play it safe with corporate-style posts, you’ll blend into the crowd.

Next, think about what potential investors want to see. The main thing is credibility, so post pictures and videos of yourself viewing properties and conducting refurbishments. Walk people through prospective deals, talking about the numbers and why the area is a hotspot for landlords. Talk about the economy, and why investors benefit from working with you rather than letting their cash depreciate in the bank.

Be fun, be educational, add value, demonstrate credibility and be consistent. If you can, post on the same day (or days) every week, and at the same time of day, if possible. Interact with your followers and with people who engage with your posts. Also, don’t be afraid of video content. People resonate more with a post if they can see your face, and video is the best way to get your personality across.

Finally, to begin with, focus on one or two platforms and grow your following on those. Each platform has a different demographic. You can discover more about each one, and our different strategies for raising private finance through social media, by reading our blog on the topic here.

Dare to Be Different

Our final piece of advice is to dare to be different. You will never be liked by everyone, and often, if you try to be, you’ll just blend in with the billions of other people on social media. It’s a hard line to walk, the line between being yourself but also standing out from thousands of competitors online, but if you can get it right, you’ll become a finance-raising powerhouse.

Some popular names within the property industry swear online. Others openly talk about a past they are not proud of, including things like spending time in prison. Don’t be afraid to be open about who you are. In a digital age where everything relies on computers and screens, people are crying out to connect with things that are real. So, no matter what your background or level of experience, just be you.

Don’t play it safe with your content. Show figures and be open about any mistakes you make or lessons you learn. If you see something out of the ordinary on a viewing (especially something embarrassing), then show it online and make your audience laugh.

The key to personal branding is that it revolves around you. If people are going to trust you, they need to see you. The real you. If you have hobbies and interests, then share pictures of you partaking in these. This is the same if family is one of your core values, don’t be afraid to share pictures of you doing things with your children. The more human you are, the more people will buy into you.

You’ll see a lot of professionals talking about their values and beliefs online. Typically, these are things that are just good business practices, like honesty and integrity. However, it is good practice to sprinkle your values into almost all your posts. Show people what you believe in, and how you live by your own beliefs, like caring for your clients and always being honest.

Build Your Personal Brand Using Intanest

Our platform allows you to build a ‘personal profile’. You can then use this profile to connect with other property lovers across the UK, from estate agents to people selling their homes and even other property investors.

Not only can you use your profile to build a personal brand, but you can also use it to share valuable videos and articles and follow other people whose content you find useful.

Because our platform is all about property, this is the best place to build your personal brand and hand-select the people you want in your network, whether that’s potential investors for your business or inspirational figures whose footsteps you want to follow.

The best part is that using our platform is completely free. To start the process and join like-minded people across the UK who love our platform and engage with it daily, build your profile by clicking here.