We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Schellhase. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.

Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I manage my own social media. It’s important to me that people see me as a real human being. I want to make sure that when people reach out to me with the intent to work with me, they already have a strong sense of who I am.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

There are so many thousands of Realtors out there and people often think of us like used car salesmen. (I’ve worked with a lot of them, I get it.) I make it a point to show my clients that I am real human being AND an expert in my industry.

The sale of real estate is intense; not to mention legally binding! I make sure that my clients feel comfortable during each part of the process by bringing humor and humanity to a situation that can often be stressful.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The first few years were LEAN. Just because people know you doesn’t mean they will use you. Especially when you are new!

I so desperately wanted to be taken seriously when I first started. I had my briefcase full of data and my blazer freshly pressed, ready to impress people with statistics and market knowledge. In reality, I bored people to tears. The biggest lesson that I took away from those early years is that people can tell when you aren’t sincere.

Since I’m not the pantyhose type, I leaned into my own style. Not only in how I dressed, but how I market myself. I made a point to market myself to people that lived in the type of homes I loved. I showed my personality through my social media, not just listings and market updates.

In my experience, people are drawn to authenticity. Once you connect with them, they want to know that they are talking to an expert, as well. Let them know.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Social media is the best tool to reach people. Period.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SonoranLauren.com
• Instagram: @SonoranLauren
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonoranlauren/
• Other: https://www.zillow.com/profile/SonoranLauren/

Image Credits
Heather Kirchhofer of Agnes Art and Photo took all of the photos.