Chocolate brown everything. A corner workspace that shows up in every post. Wine meetings with clients who already feel like friends. BryAnn Buhl didn’t stumble into a cohesive brand — she built it on purpose, and it’s been the difference between surviving and thriving in real estate.

BryAnn is a luxury real estate expert across Central California and the Coast who’s turned authentic storytelling and intentional social media into one of the most engaged real estate audiences in her market. She’s mastered the art of luxury branding without losing the relatable, approachable vibe that makes people want to work with her.

BryAnn’s sharing how she’s evolved her brand over the years, why she’ll never let someone else post for her, and what it really takes to attract your dream clients through social media.

From Fashion School to Real Estate

BryAnn’s path to real estate wasn’t exactly traditional. She went to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA with dreams of working in fashion and marketing, but when she moved back to her small town where agriculture is king, those opportunities were limited.

She took a few odd jobs — working for a Land O’Lakes company, then a hospital — before a high school friend who was killing it in real estate needed a marketing coordinator.

BryAnn jumped at the chance to do something creative, even though she had no idea how creative real estate could actually be. This was 2017-2018, back when social media for agents was just starting to gain traction.

From day one, BryAnn focused heavily on branding and education, anything that would help her stand out in a market where everyone knows multiple agents.

Instead of leaning into the “just listed” graphics and generic market updates everyone else was posting, she went all-in on branding. Everything was cohesive. People started telling her they could recognize her content before they even saw her name, which is the kind of brand recognition every agent dreams of!

Building a Cohesive Brand That Evolves With You

One of the biggest misconceptions about branding is that once you pick your colors and fonts, you’re stuck with them forever. BryAnn’s brand evolution proves that’s not true.

When she first started, her brand was very light and bright — think pastels and airy vibes. It looked beautiful, and it was branded, but it didn’t feel quite right long-term. A few years in, especially after getting married and changing her name, she did a slight rebrand.

Less than a year into those colors, she switched again — this time to the chocolate browns and warm tones she’s known for today. It wasn’t a shock for her audience because the transition felt natural. They had gotten to know her through her stories, her personality, and her life, so the visual updates just felt like part of the journey.

And guess what? BryAnn’s about to do another rebrand! She’s working with a designer out of London to elevate her brand as she steps further into the luxury space and brings on a partner agent. She’s keeping some of the same colors but refining the look to match where she’s headed.

Your brand doesn’t have to be permanent. It can ebb and flow as you do. The key is making sure it always reflects who you actually are, not who you think you’re supposed to be. When people see you in person and say, “You’re exactly like you are online,” that’s when you know you’ve nailed it.

The Silent Follower Who Became Her Top Client of the Year

If you’ve ever wondered whether posting consistently actually works, this story will convince you.

BryAnn had a follower who watched her content for FOUR YEARS.

This person never liked a post, commented, or slid into her DMs. Just quietly observed, building trust from a distance, until one day, she reached out, ready to buy and sell.

That transaction became one of BryAnn’s top sales that year. And the wildest part is that they had no mutual friends. Just social media doing what it does best — building trust over time.

This is why the long game matters. Social media isn’t a vending machine where you post something and a client pops out. It’s relationship-building that happens in the background while you’re living your life and running your business.

Some people will engage right away. Others will take months or even years. You have no idea who’s watching or when they’ll be ready. But if you quit after two weeks because you didn’t see immediate results, you’ll never get to experience what BryAnn has — a business built on trust, referrals, and clients who already feel like they know you before you ever meet.

Even when BryAnn posts the same guides or content repeatedly, new people see it every time. A freebie guide she’s shared dozens of times? Someone will reach out for it like it’s the first time they’ve ever seen it.

Repetition isn’t boring. It’s strategic!

The motivation to keep going comes from knowing that social media works. BryAnn saw the difference firsthand when she stepped back from posting during her divorce. Her pipeline took a hit, and her business slowed.

It was a clear reminder that showing up matters, even when it feels like no one’s paying attention.

Luxury Branding Without the Unapproachable Vibe

Here’s the tricky part about luxury branding: how do you look high-end without seeming intimidating or out of reach?

BryAnn’s cracked the code. She’s leaning into the luxury space — designer handbags, elevated listings, that quiet luxury aesthetic — but she’s doing it in a way that still feels approachable and relatable.

She’s not pulling up in a Bentley or flaunting a Birkin. She’s not posting content that screams, “Look how expensive my life is.” Instead, she’s focused on what’s being called quiet luxury or soft luxury. It’s polished and beautiful, but not in your face.

A quick flash of designer shoes. A subtle glimpse of a handbag. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you just think she looks put together. It’s a signal to her ideal clients without alienating everyone else.

You don’t need family money or insider connections to build a luxury brand. BryAnn didn’t grow up wealthy. She grew up in a mobile home in the country with parents who worked hard and taught her to do the same. Everything she’s built is self-made, and social media has been the vehicle that got her there.

Staying relatable is non-negotiable for BryAnn. She wants people to feel comfortable reaching out whether they’re selling a $200,000 home or a $2 million one. The feedback she gets most often is “You’re so kind. You’re so easy to talk to.” That’s the goal.

She’s not trying to grow her following into the hundreds of thousands. At 18,000 followers, she’s intentional about staying in that relatable space where people don’t feel intimidated to DM her or pick up the phone.

Big followings can create distance, and she’d rather have trust.

The Three-Pillar Strategy for Sharing Personal and Professional Content

So how much personal content is too much? How do you decide what to share and what to keep private?

BryAnn works off three pillars: real estate, lifestyle, and family. She sprinkles content in from each category and doesn’t overthink it. If her son does something cute, she shares it. If she hasn’t posted him in two weeks, that’s fine too. She’s not forcing it, which is exactly why it feels authentic.

Some agents aren’t comfortable sharing their kids online, and that’s completely valid. Others share everything. The key is figuring out what feels right for you and sticking to that boundary.

For BryAnn, the balance comes naturally. She’s not stressing about whether she posted enough family content this week or if she needs to add more real estate posts. She just shows up and shares what feels good in the moment.

Her followers connect over all kinds of things — her doodles, the wineries she visits, her Pilates studio, even the t-shirt her son wears. Those connection points build trust and start relationships.

Nobody wants to work with a real estate robot. They want to work with a real person.

And that’s the beauty of the three-pillar approach. You’re not just a listing machine. You’re a whole person with interests, hobbies, a family, and a life outside of real estate. When people see that, they trust you.

Content Batching with a UGC Creator: BryAnn’s Secret Weapon

If you’ve ever looked at BryAnn’s feed and thought, “How does she have time to create all this content?” here’s the secret: she batches it with a UGC (user-generated content) creator.

She found a local girl who does behind-the-scenes wedding content. They shoot once or twice a month, and BryAnn comes prepared with a shot list, outfit changes, and any props she needs. Sometimes they shoot at her house in that cozy corner everyone recognizes. Other times, they head to model homes, listings, or local businesses.

The content feels authentic, not overly produced. It’s got that real, relatable vibe that gets way better engagement than her old professional shoots ever did. Plus, she ends up with a massive folder of B-roll she can pull from whenever she needs it.

This approach is genius for agents who don’t have a natural eye for content or who feel awkward shooting alone. Hiring someone to help — even just once a month — takes the pressure off and gives you a stockpile of content to work with.

BryAnn still handles all her own social media. She doesn’t have a marketing agency posting for her because she knows it wouldn’t sound like her. It wouldn’t feel authentic. But having someone help her capture the visuals has been a game-changer.

When it comes to actually planning the content, BryAnn tries to plan at least a week at a time. She looks at her feed in her camera roll, figures out what should go next to what, and maps it out. Sometimes she gets in a groove and plans further out. Other times, she takes it week by week.

She’s very intentional about how her feed looks. Some people say, “Just post, posting is better than nothing.” And sure, to an extent. But BryAnn believes strategy matters. People tell her all the time that they love the look of her page, the branding, and how it all flows together. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because she’s strategic and a little obsessive (her therapist calls it OCP—Obsessive Compulsive Personality) about how it all comes together.

But that attention to detail is what sets her apart!

Your First Step to a Cohesive Brand

If you’re reading this thinking, “Okay, but where do I even start?” BryAnn has an answer: mood boards.

Before you pick colors or fonts or start designing graphics, create a mood board. Pull inspiration from your camera roll — what you wear, what listings you’ve loved, how your home looks. Throw it all into a Pinterest board or a Canva doc and see what themes emerge.

Once you start seeing patterns, you can build from there. Pick your colors. Choose your fonts. Start creating graphics that actually feel like you.

If you don’t like the colors you picked after six months, change them. BryAnn did exactly that. She rebranded after getting married and changing her name, tried new colors, hated them less than a year later, and switched to chocolate browns. No one cared. It just felt more aligned, so people followed along.

Your brand should feel like an extension of who you are, not a costume you’re wearing. If it feels forced, your audience will sense it. If it feels natural, they’ll trust you.

Breaking Free from Comparison and Imposter Syndrome

If BryAnn could leave you with one piece of advice, it’s this: ignore the comparison and imposter syndrome.

It’s so easy to fall into that trap. You see another agent’s feed and think, “Maybe I should do what they’re doing. Maybe my content isn’t good enough.” But that’s the fastest way to lose your authentic voice and stay stuck in a cycle of self-doubt.

BryAnn still catches herself in that rut sometimes. When it happens, she takes a few days off social media. She refreshes, resets, and refocuses on what feels natural to her. Because once you find your authentic voice and brand and lean into it, there’s no stopping you, as long as you stick with it.

You can absolutely find inspiration from other accounts. BryAnn loves following Molly Kidd, an interior designer whose brand aligns beautifully with hers. She gets inspiration from Molly’s quiet luxury vibe, the way she blends personal and business content, and how everything feels effortless. But she’s never stuck in comparison mode because it just feels like creative fuel, not competition.

Find accounts that inspire you without making you feel less-than. If someone’s page makes you sink into self-doubt, unfollow them. Protect your energy and your creativity.

Social media can feel exhausting. There are days BryAnn wishes she didn’t have to do it. But it’s make-or-break for her business, and she knows she wouldn’t be where she is without it.

If you feel tired of social media, remember this: the alternative is cold calling, door knocking, and buying leads. You get to choose your hard.

And building a brand that attracts dream clients while you sleep… that’s the kind of hard work that actually pays off.

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.