Have you read any good real estate agent bios lately? Unless you’ve been doing a lot of searching, the answer is probably “no.”

Almost every bio you’ll find sounds just like all the rest. They list designations – that alphabet soup of letters that most real estate consumers can’t decipher. How many non-real estate people do you know who actually know what the letters GRI or ABR mean?

And if the agent does reveal what the letters stand for, how many potential clients know what it means to them? Very few.

Then they go on to tell about the agent’s accomplishments. They might say “Million Dollar Club Member” or “Top Listing Agent 3 years running.” Those things don’t mean much to the average consumer either. If anything, they misunderstand what the Million Dollar club means, and they think that agent is “making too much money.”

After that, they say “Customer service is my top priority,” or some other generic words that try to convince a reader that they’re wonderful agents who will take good care of them. Often they’re the same words that were used on a home page or a buyer or a seller page.

By the time they get to the end of the page, they still haven’t revealed a thing about themselves or given their prospects any reason to like them, trust them, or hire them.

Instead of copying the same formula that other agents use, each agent should strive to make himself or herself stand out from the crowd. Prospects want to know why this agent is the best choice for them – they want to know what the agent will do that’s different from what everyone else is doing. So tell them.

Also, in this day of diminishing trust, they want some bit of information that will let them see that this is a real person – someone who cares about something in addition to closing transactions and collecting commission checks.

That’s why I recommend that agents reveal some personal information.

If you’re getting ready to write your real estate agent bio, start by thinking about things in your past that prepared you for your role as a real estate agent. Perhaps it was a job that taught you how to listen well, or negotiate. Maybe you were a home builder or an appraiser or a home inspector – so you can protect your buyers from purchasing a “money pit.”

Perhaps you’ve had a life-long fascination with homes and different types of housing architecture. Perhaps one of your parents sold real estate and taught you that it was the world’s best career.

You don’t have to go into detail, but do share something about the reason why you chose real estate sales as a career. “I love helping people” or “I love people” is not good enough.

Next, remember that people like to do business with others who are somehow “like them,” so share something about your spare time activities – such as hobbies, volunteerism, or membership in service organizations. If you have pets, mention them. If you’re a proud grandma or grandpa, mention that.

Again, you don’t need details. But do give your prospects a reason to like and trust you before they even meet you.