This piece of advice comes from the self-professed rock god, Gene Simmons: “If you look at YOURSELF as the brand, then you will understand an intrinsic truth: People judge.”

In school you heard it as “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But guess what? People do. Why else do authors pay people lots of money to conceptualize and design book covers? Why aren’t all book covers just black with the book title in simple white lettering? The reason is simple: people do judge, and once you realize that you have the key to how to become a realtor who makes a good living.

You are the brand. This is just as important as if you were Beyonce, Michael Jordan, or Karl Lagerfeld. In fact, as a realtor, your brand may be even more important because you rely so much on referrals. The Beyonces of the world have a PR machine to help make them a household name; you, as a realtor covering a small geographical area, have no so such PR machine. You are just a realtor in a small but always competitive area, and you need to build a brand fast.

You may be thinking that you do not need to build a brand because you are part of an established brokerage. That is why you need a brand even more; you have to stand out from the crowd. The brokerage’s brand helps a potential client choose that company, but what will make them choose you? Do you exhibit that little Je Ne Sais Quoi that will make people point in your direction and say, “I want to work with her.”

So while you are taking your classes and studying for your exams, you should already be thinking about what your brand will be. The coursework, exams, and relationship with a broker just allow you entry into the real estate industry; they do not ensure your success in this industry. Building a client/referral portfolio is essential to having a successful real estate career, but how can you build a career that is lucrative and long lasting?

The answer to that question is the piece of advice dispensed at the beginning of this article. Yes, the advice comes from a man dressed in black leather and with enough black-and-white paint on his face to blend in with a pack of zebras. Nevertheless, it is salient advice. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be on your way to real estate success.