In our latest webinar, Luxury Presence teamed up with top real estate agent Dawn McKenna to pull back the curtain on what it takes to build a standout brand in the competitive world of luxury real estate. The session was packed with insights, actionable strategies, and McKenna’s signature, no-nonsense style. Whether you missed it or just need a refresher, here’s a deep dive into the key takeaways.
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The making of a luxury real estate powerhouse
McKenna’s journey into real estate wasn’t meticulously planned — in fact, she called it “an accidental brand.” But what started as a way to fund a designer sofa purchase turned into one of the most recognized names in the industry today.
Before real estate, McKenna was an interior decorator in Hinsdale, Illinois, balancing her passion for homes with raising four kids. She had a natural talent for design and an eye for what makes a space special — skills that would later give her a competitive edge in selling luxury properties.
Encouraged by her husband, she got her real estate license in just five days, intending to sell one home and use the commission to purchase that sofa. “I wanted to buy a couch,” she laughed. “It was a side-hustle approach.”
But she was hooked and ended up building a business that dominates multiple markets across eight states. How? Through authenticity, strategy, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Bringing unique talents to the table
Even before she officially entered the industry, McKenna was the go-to person for friends and family looking for decor advice. She helped simply because she loved it, not because she expected anything in return. “I was super committed to making people feel better and being part of the community,” she said. “I got such a charge from that.”
That genuine passion laid the groundwork for her business. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, McKenna leaned into her strengths. With her background in interior design, she had a natural ability to showcase a home’s potential — an invaluable skill in the luxury market. She didn’t just list properties; she transformed them, helping buyers see the lifestyle a home could offer.
“I want people to know that we care about all the little details. People say, ‘Oh my God, don’t sweat the small stuff,’” she said with a laugh. “Oh my God, totally sweat the small stuff.”
Her advice to other agents is simple: Identify what sets you apart and make it your competitive advantage. Whether it’s negotiation, networking, or marketing, find your niche and own it.
Translating work into a tangible brand
McKenna quickly came to understand that her personal brand was just as important as her outsized approach to property marketing: “If you can brand yourself, what can you do for all your listings? It’s just a reflection of you.”
As her business grew, she began to see the importance of thinking deeply about her personal brand. One of the first things she learned was that authenticity is the foundation of a great reputation.
“Your brand is like a vessel. It’s what you fill it with that’s meaningful,” she said. As she developed her approach to business, her visual brand fell into place as well. Pink became her signature color. “My biggest competitors are men, so how to stand out? Pink.”
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In fact, McKenna believes the entire industry would do well to think more deeply about its overall brand. “People don’t have a lot of faith in Realtors [and] that’s our fault,” she said. “We have to start teaching people [that] real estate is an asset class” that’s outperformed other assets over time. She encouraged event attendees to not only do their best work but also educate prospects and clients about the power of property ownership.
Relationships as a building block for your brand
Another key to McKenna’s success has been her ability to build lasting relationships. She never approached real estate as a one-time transaction. Instead, she nurtured long-term connections, knowing that repeat business and referrals are the real drivers of a sustainable career. This mindset not only helped her gain trust but also turned her into a true advisor rather than just another agent.
McKenna’s commitment to service is part of what’s made her so successful in luxury real estate, where clients expect white-glove treatment. She anticipates needs before they’re even expressed and ensures that every aspect of the experience feels seamless.
Her philosophy? If you go above and beyond for your clients, they’ll never forget you — and they’ll tell everyone they know.
The power of delegation
But that meticulous level of service isn’t easy to scale. McKenna quickly realized that if she wanted to grow, she couldn’t do everything herself. Learning to delegate and hire a team was one of the most pivotal shifts in her career. “You have to delegate. You have to learn to trust,” she said.
At first, she was hesitant — after all, no one would care about her business as much as she did. But she soon understood that scaling means surrounding yourself with the right people. By hiring and empowering a strong team, she was able to focus on the high-impact aspects of her business while ensuring that every client received top-tier service.
While she is now comfortable assigning responsibilities to the smart and capable people on her team, she remains actively involved in the branding process, ensuring her vision is upheld. “You do have to be a part of the fabric when you’re scaling. You can’t just expect all these people to do it the way you want to do it if you’re not involved,” she said.
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Technology as a critical asset
Part of McKenna’s journey in scaling her business and learning to delegate was trusting technology to take over some of the work. “It’s another lever,” she said of her approach to using artificial intelligence in her business. “It’s to help you be more efficient.”
As a key technology partner for the Dawn McKenna Group since it launched its first website, Luxury Presence has evolved its services into a dynamic, living ecosystem that fuels the business across multiple markets. Because of this longstanding relationship, it was only natural for McKenna to come to Luxury Presence’s CEO, Malte Kramer, when she had an idea that would take her business to the next level.
McKenna realized she had a lot of proprietary information and knowledge, but it wasn’t always accessible on the go, nor was it immediately sharable to team members across the country. “We didn’t have a great way to communicate with each other and we didn’t have market data at our fingertips,” she said. But a branded mobile app could change that. “I called it pocket… I wanted to feel like I had everything in my pocket so I was the source.”
That idea blossomed into Luxury Presence’s Copilot, which McKenna has since white-labeled with her own branding. She noted one of her favorite aspects of the app is that it offers a space for client collaboration and connection on the go. “We need something sticky for these buyers and sellers to stay with you,” she said. “If I’m doing my job right, these people are looking at everything I do. They keep hitting it even after they’ve purchased.”
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Investing in your brand for the long-term
McKenna acknowledged that many real estate professionals hesitate to embrace technology, fearing it will compromise their brand identity. However, she has done the opposite, leveraging digital tools to reinforce brand consistency. And with the many resources out there to help agents improve their services, she called it “irresponsible” to refuse to use technology in one’s business.
She also noted how this can translate into a reluctance to invest. “Our industry is cheap. I understand why,” she said. “You should be spending 20% of your income and putting it back into marketing your brand, because your brand is everything.”
McKenna’s approach serves as a model for agents looking to scale their business while maintaining a strong, differentiated brand. “These things are expensive, but oh my God — the lead generation is bananas,” she said, noting that she regularly sees “10 to 15 inquiries a day” from her website.
By embracing technology — including her website, digital ads, content strategy, and mobile app — McKenna has turned digital tools into powerful assets rather than obstacles, demonstrating that a strong brand and tech-driven growth can go hand in hand.
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