Every Real Estate Agent wants to present their best side to prospective clients, and one of the best ways to do that is with your professional “head shot” or “profile picture”.
Here are some tips to take and choose the picture that best represents you as a competent, confident, and trustworthy Real Estate Professional:
Do:
- Put yourself in your clients’ shoes
- “Would I hire someone if their professional picture looked like mine?”
- Find a location with plenty of light
- Next to a North-facing window, or a large white surface
- Have someone else take the picture, if possible
- If necessary, use a timer and/or tripod
- Include shoulders and upper body
- Check your background and surroundings for distracting or embarrassing items
- Drinks, food, animals, signs, items sticking up behind you, etc.
- Dress as if you were meeting a client
- Coat, buttoned dress shirt and slacks/skirt, modest-cut dress, etc.
- Attach a high-quality original image file (jpg or png)
- Best-case scenario: hire a professional or visit a portrait studio
Don’t:
- Take a “Selfie”
- Squint into the sun
- Take a picture while lying down
- Take a picture at night
- Take a picture in a vehicle
- Take a picture in a bathroom
- Take a picture in the mirror
- Use your social media profile picture (in most cases)
- Include other people (unless on a team)
- Crop other people out of a picture
- Wear sunglasses
- Take a picture of a computer screen
- Take a picture of a printed photo
One last tip: No head shot is better than a poor quality head shot. So if in doubt, leave the picture out until you can procure one that you are comfortable presenting to the public.
Follow these simple tips and you’ll have a professional picture you can be proud to present to prospective clients on all of your profiles!
To have SLM update the picture shown on your profiles, use this form
