While many agents struggled to adjust their business amid the market changes of 2020, Detroit-based Realtor Erica Collica was able to stay connected to her network how she always has– through social media. 

Erica is a real estate agent veteran with 15 years of experience and over $100M in career sales who has risen to the top of her profession by using social media to build a consistent personal brand content marketing and social media to build her brand.

“The goal is to give people a glimpse into my daily life, so that I can make closer connections with clients and spread any business updates quickly,” said Erica. Popular content includes things like new listing video tours, blog posts about other local female entrepreneurs, outfit of the day posts and videos of her roaming around the city.

More Traffic Than Ever

People are online more than ever as our world grows increasingly digital; and they are using the internet and mobile apps for more than just ordering food and shopping—buying and selling homes online is now a new normal as well. 

In order for real estate agencies to stay relevant in this new kind of normal, Erica firmly believes that all agents must embrace the world of influencing through social media. Even before the uncertainties of 2020, social media was the top platform she used to maintain a flow of business and connection to her clients, she said.

“Every person is a brand today, whether they want to be or not. How they choose to use and leverage that brand is up to them,” said Erica. “For me, I have used my image and platform to create a lifestyle brand around ‘Erica,’ which has become synonymous with my real estate agency dealings. Since I am unequivocally myself, letting potential buyers and sellers into my lifestyle, they are more likely to trust me in dealing with their particular transaction.”

Building Networks with Authenticity

Considering that the average person can expect to own three homes in their lifetime, just about every single individual is going to need a realtor at some point. Erica knows this, which is why she isn’t afraid to brand herself to clients as an intelligent, fun, “bad ass woman”. 

With an overall social media following in the tens of thousands and hundreds of readers viewing her lifestyle blog every month, her commitment to sharing authentic content is more than paying off. Erica’s followers appreciate her personal and relatable content, but it also builds trust with thousands of potential clients – that she’s never met.

In order to be successful at building your own following Erica believes it’s important that realtors (or any person) who wants to build a brand for themselves to run their own social media. This allows your message to come across as natural and organic, in your own words. By managing her own channels, Erica has been able to engage a loyal following and ensure all the messaging and branding is consistent, and most importantly, true to her.

“My authentic lifestyle content is what gives me my edge against the competition and I already have a sizable following of realtors from around the country who are looking to learn from my approach to connecting with potential customers on social media,” said Erica.

Going National

Erica is working to create an online community for agents across the country with courses, resources, and peer interaction that will teach and support agents at all levels and stages in their careers. In a competitive industry that forced Erica to cut her teeth on her own, she hopes to create a nurturing community built upon a mindset of abundance rather than competition.  

“I’ve been on social media since the beginning. With few footsteps to follow, it’s taken a lot of trial-and-error, but once I got the puzzle put together, the results have been undeniable,” Erica explained. “Building a personal brand online allows agents to grow their sphere well beyond what traditional networking tactics like club memberships and neighborhood mailers.”

Erica has been voted the #1 realtor on social media in the city of Detroit, and consistently ranks in the top 1% in sales volume throughout the United States. As she likes to say: “who you work with matters.”

For more information, or to chat with this female entrepreneur, visit: https://www.meeterica.com/.