Real estate and marketing may not seem like two sectors that often coincide. Strangers to the world of top agents and brokerages typically think that being a realtor is all about selling houses and not much more. But, in truth, marketing is crucial to help buyers and sellers achieve their ideal outcome.
And any marketer today knows the future is in personal branding. Heather Cook, the CEO of The Curated Group of The Real Brokerage, isn’t just any marketer. Cook has created a personal brand that’s relatable to the masses: buyers, sellers, real estate agents and people from all walks of life follow her dynamic online presence. She’s a leader, mentor, and personality in the real estate space who is redefining what a brokerage can be. For those aspiring to be a top agent, Cook is one to keep your eyes on, as an interesting development may be on the horizon.
Cook is an integral part of The Real Brokerage, the fastest growing publicly-traded brokerage. She thrives on platforms like Facebook, and has achieved noteworthy numbers. As a keystone of The Real Brokerage, she is a fundamental part of its dealings, which reached $14.4bn in total sales volume last year. Moreover, her innovative team structure concept and development plan recently led to a 600% agent growth on her team in only eight weeks.
A mentoring mantra
Along with her husband and business partner Brad, Cook has a team of 12 that’s consistently ranked in the Top 1% of the Charlotte, NC area – and they are expanding to other markets. Cook attributes the success of their team to their unique model, which is based on an ‘abundance mindset’. “The old idea of creating lead-dependent agents didn’t align with our values. Our agents learn to rapidly build an organic client base, and we teach them to scale as business owners under our umbrella of support, collaboration and mentorship”. Agents are drawn to Cook’s team because of the growth opportunities, high-level social media and personal branding mentorship – and Cook’s natural high-energy which motivates and inspires them.
Above all else, the real estate broker is proud to be part of a forward-thinking, tech-minded organization that allows her to nurture her own team. The Real Brokerage named her a ‘Growth Ambassador,’ which involves speaking directly to the company’s leadership about the issues that matter most to her agents. That means, for recruits, opportunities to reach their long-term career ideals are abundant.
“My mantra is ‘Get in the right room,’” Cook says. “Being around smarter and more talented people is crucial for business growth. Our goal is to ensure all of our agents have the most beneficial financial opportunities, the most genuine collaborations, and truly helpful support from a top brokerage.”
Making a marketer
One area Cook has exceptional insight into is marketing. A master of the personal brand, she intertwines her social media presence with her real estate escapades, creating synergy between her and her business. Anything from client wins to dog content appears on her profiles, creating an authentic image that transcends the properties she is listing.
Her raw, honest style on social media has given Cook the opportunity to connect on a human level with buyers and sellers all over the country. “Honesty builds trust”, Cook states. She brings her marketing skills forward to the consumer using her online presence, allowing buyers and sellers unprecedented marketing exposure as a benefit to working with Cook and her team. She offers the advice “When you take the time to understand what both buyers and sellers need, you learn how to speak both of their languages and can market much more effectively”.
Cook has been able to leverage her expert marketing strategies to generate over $200 Million in home sales completely organically. She is currently writing a book that will offer a step-by-step process for team leaders and agents to follow to develop their own organic following. Cook will offer in-person training seminars to teach team leaders around the country how to implement her marketing strategies into their own real estate businesses.
Voicing her values
Cook, a realtor who is also an influencer, leader, and mentor, bridges the gap. In The Real Brokerage, she has found a company that mirrors her passion for growth and outside-the-box approach. Real’s supportive culture is as cutting-edge as its in-house technology. As a result, no publicly-trading real estate brokerage is growing faster.
Any mentor passionate about their values must also be able to communicate them. Cook is eager to emphasize her credibility as a public speaker. Broadcasting her message to as many realtors as possible is the foundation of her status as a thought leader in the industry, and rooms are quickly filled with agents who are eager to hear what she has to say.
Equally vital is her husband Brad, who is her business partner and also a Growth Ambassador for their top-producing brokerage. They are a true rags to riches story, having moved to their current town as strangers from out-of-state five years ago, and have since grown their business from zero to one of the most recognized and respected real estate teams on the east coast.
In that time, she has rounded out an offering that is difficult to find elsewhere. Agents commonly frequent different mentors to gain business, marketing, and real estate experience. In Heather Cook, they have access to all that and more.
