What Is a Real Estate Mission Statement?
A real estate mission statement is a formal articulation of your business’ purpose. It describes how you aim to be distinctly different than competitors. Your mission is the “why” behind your brokerage’s existence, which helps your clients understand what you’re all about and keeps your team focused and motivated as they go about their day to day.
Why Do You Need a Mission Statement for Your Brokerage?
Brokerage groups create mission statements to identify who they are and why they do what they do. Your mission statement highlights the inspiration behind your company and the reason why you started it in the first place. In a 2009 TED Talk, leadership expert Simon Sinek explained that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Using Apple as an example, he says that the company’s mission was to challenge the status quo and think differently. That was their purpose and it ultimately set them apart, creating an electronics brand people trust as innovative and understanding of their needs.
The same idea can be applied to your real estate company. Your mission statement acts as a commitment or promise to clients (both existing and future), your team, and yourself about how you plan to stand out in your industry. Whether it’s focused on customer service, technology, community involvement, real estate standards, team atmosphere, operational integrity, or all of the above, it’s your way of establishing your brokerage’s purpose.
Having a mission is good for boosting internal morale, and it can be referenced when hiring real estate agents who will share the same goals and sense of purpose. It’s always a good idea to post your mission statement somewhere visible in the office, such as in a break room, conference room, or in the entryway, to help keep your team centered and remind them of what your brokerage is all about. Ultimately, having a strong mission statement in place will help you preserve your company’s culture.
How Do You Write a Real Estate Mission Statement?
Your mission statement starts with explaining “why” your company is special. Then, it backs up this claim by identifying “what” it is that you do (i.e., your product and values) and “how” you plan on reaching those goals. No matter what, the mission statement should always link back to your company’s overall purpose.
Here’s the step-by-step process for creating a mission statement for your brokerage.
Step #1: Brainstorm the fundamental principles of your mission statement.
Write out keywords that come to mind about your business as it relates to the who, what, and why. (If you’re working on a small team, consider calling a brainstorming meeting so the entire office can participate. If your office is too big, consider asking management to participate in the first brainstorm to avoid a “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario.) Think about what might make clients (and agents) stay loyal to your brand and want to work with (or for) you.
Step #2: Designate someone to be the official “statement writer.”
Before you start turning your brainstorm into a full-fledged mission statement, identify one person who will be responsible for writing the first draft. If you have a teammate who handles your brokerage’s marketing or communications efforts, ask them to take the first pass. If not, consider asking either a member of your management team or a colleague who’s been at the brokerage for a significant amount of time. These teammates tend to have the best understanding of what a company’s core mission and goals are, and thus have an easier time putting them into words.
Step #3: Create an outline or rough first draft.
Have the designated writer look for familiar themes and words that came from your brainstorming session. With those thoughts in mind, have them write out the mission statement in a brief paragraph. The ideal length is about two or three sentences, but don’t worry about that right now - you can pare it down in the next step. Your statement doesn’t have to be perfect at this stage, but it should include the essential points you want to convey to the public about your brokerage.
Step #4: Get feedback.
Now that you have a first draft, re-read it several times and share it with other high-ranking members of the team for feedback. This is best done in a shared document where each person can add their edits and comments individually.
Step #5: Create a second draft and share it with the larger team.
Once your leadership has reviewed the mission statement, incorporate their edits in a second draft and share that document with your entire team. Now that you’re looping in more people, you may end up getting more feedback - that’s okay. But, to avoid endless rounds of revisions, try to be picky about the changes you choose to make. If a significant portion of your team feels that the statement is missing something that’s core to your company’s essence, then sure, consider taking another pass to work that in. But if the majority of the critiques have to do with nit-picky things that don’t really add much value or clarify your message, consider tabling them for now.
Step #6: Finalize your mission statement.
Now’s the time to incorporate any final edits or feedback you might’ve received and give your statement a good polish. Make sure that your grammar and syntax are all buttoned up, that you’re speaking in an active (rather than passive) voice, and that the thoughts you’re trying to convey come through clearly. If your mission statement is four or more sentences long, edit it down so it’s only two or three. This will make it easier for your teammates to commit to memory so they can share it with clients and prospects when they’re out and about.
Step #7: Make it public!
Once you have the final version of your mission statement, it’s time to share it with the rest of the world. Many brokerages tend to display theirs in spaces that are easily seen by both clients and teammates (e.g., reception area, hallway). This can help keep your mission top-of-mind for your colleagues, while also helping make clients feel more confident in their decision to do business with you. Additionally, you should consider creating a dedicated page on your website where your mission statement will live. The “mission page,” as it’s called, is also the place where you can share your company’s values and vision, along with any other important information you think that the public should know about your brokerage. We’ll cover this in more depth in the next section.
What to Include on the Mission Page of Your Website
As we mentioned earlier, a real estate “mission page” is typically composed of a company’s vision, values, and beliefs, according to Lori Ballen, a digital marketing specialist and real estate agent in Las Vegas. Additionally, this is where you’d provide existing and future clients (as well as prospective new hires) with any important information they should know about your brokerage, including any awards you’ve received and your contact information. Let’s walk through the kinds of information you should provide for each section of your company’s “mission page”.
1. Your Team’s Core Values & Beliefs
Some brokerages like to emphasize their teams’ work ethic; this tends to take the form of a general statement about how their agents serve clients in a professional, positive, and attentive manner. Others like to highlight their teams’ integrity and accountability, and how they all strive to achieve these values in their day-to-day dealings with clients and other real estate professionals. Mentioning this value, in particular, will help emphasize to existing and future clients that everyone on your team will perform to the best of their abilities. Other core values you could consider including are: Team collaboration, timeliness, going above and beyond, respect, passion, and family-oriented. Each value should be accompanied by one or two sentences that explain its significance to your team.
2. Your Vision for How You’ll Accomplish Your Mission
In this section, you will list how you expect your team will strive to fulfill your company’s mission and purpose. For example, if you’re a community-focused business, you might highlight that your team regularly participates in volunteer work in and around your local area.
3. Your Awards, Honors, & Accomplishments
List out any industry-relevant awards and honors your teammates have received, along with any other accomplishments that you think reflect your team’s hard work. When you create this list, make sure to start with the most recent first, just as you would on a resume. Having this information displayed on your website will only help bolster your brokerage’s credibility in the eyes of clients, prospects, and the larger community.
4. Your Brokerage’s Contact Information
Since this mission statement page might be one of the most compelling places on your website for visitors, it doesn’t hurt to make sure your contact information is easy to find. This is also a good spot to link to your company’s social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
5 Examples of Real Estate Company Mission Statements
There are a couple ways to write real estate mission statements. If you’re in search of some inspiration, we’ve rounded up five examples of great brokerage mission statements to help get your wheels turning. Each company has a simple mission statement on a page that also lists its values and contact information. (Some also use this page to list media mentions, company ethics, vision, and teammates). You’ll notice that each example is different from the next, but they all incorporate the main principles listed above for building a solid real estate mission statement.
Example #1: Harry Norman Realtors
Our Mission:
- Providing superior counsel to our buyers and sellers through leadership, experience and knowledge.
- Engaging in honest, loyal and ethical business practices.
- Maintaining an ongoing commitment to serve our communities by contributing our time and financial resources.
- Committing to passionately exceed our customer's expectations.
- Providing innovative strategies for business development.
Example #2: Dermer Management — New York City
Dermer Management provides personalized property management services using a proactive approach that builds a foundation for fiscal and structural health for your building. We focus on creating an atmosphere of trust and honesty with the Board and a pleasant living experience for all of the residents. Simply put… We manage your building like it was our own!
Example #3: The Loken Group — Houston
Our mission is to inspire a positive, lasting impact.
Example #4: Novus Realty — Florida and Arkansas
Our mission is to provide an outstanding level of service, excellence and expertise in the real estate market to our clients. To always bear in mind that behind every real estate transaction, there is always a person or family involved. To act in the best interest of our clients at all times, by offering unquestionable ethics on all transactions and to develop long-lasting relationships with our clients by offering exceptional service and utmost customer satisfaction.
Example #5: Jeff Cook Real Estate — South Carolina
To empower our team to deliver the best service and to empower our clients to reach their real estate goals.
If you’re feeling stuck, take a look at what other companies are doing. One of the best ways to write a real estate mission statement is to review what your competitors have written. This can help give you an idea for the tone and style of your own statement. You don’t want to copy and paste verbatim, but reading what successful agents and brokers have developed can help inspire you.
Originally published on September 17, 2019.
Updated on October 8, 2021.
Image courtesy of iStock.com/Sensay