30 Dec The First Thing We Look For in Estate Agents.
The First Thing We look For in Estate Agents.
"it's the first thing I look for in you and the last thing I'm willing to show you. In you, it's courage and daring. In me, it's weakness." - Brené Brown, when asked by Forbes if society supports people described as vulnerable.
VULNERABILITY.
The first thing we look for in an agent. The last thing realtors/estate agents are willing to show a vendor.
There's a couple of glaring exceptions, here in the U.K, that immediately spring to mind.
Both agents that have the courage and daring to reveal what's behind the mask that every agent wears to hide their insecurities.
One encourages us to be more like a lion.
Shares his core beliefs of Love, Truth, Justice, Freedom and Strength.
Isn't afraid to show his past failures and detail his road to redemption for anyone that will listen.
An open-book. Spontaneous. With an ever growing tribe of followers.
Who just happens to be an estate agent.
The other - the epitome of raw strength. Muscles everywhere, including his car.
But with the gentle nature of a loving father. The compassion and humility of one who has emerged from a troubled past to rebuild himself into one of the most genuine and considerate of human beings. Pride emanating from every fibre of his being. In his achievements. In his sartorial elegance.
Someone - who also, just happens to be an estate agent.
Both with the courage to be vulnerable. Both, were I looking for an agent to sell my home, would I instruct in a heartbeat.
On the flip side, are those that promise. Those that boast and those that manipulate. The bottom-feeders and the messy middle.
How do I know this?
Because the estate agency profession suffers, worldwide, from an abysmally poor reputation. It's not trusted.
Past indiscretions are hidden away. Present, and not so present, successes are shouted from the rooftops. There are occasions, too, when a vendor might actually question, on whose side is their agent?
So we look for vulnerability in estate agents/realtors.
We look to see if there is affinity.
We look to see if we like them. We look to see if we might eventually trust.
What we get back is a playbook of best practice estate agency.
The scripts for overcoming objections. The trial close techniques that work for the million-dollar agent. The supremely optimistic valuation and the 5 star reviews on TrustPilot. We get offered excellent value. We get enticed with claims of passion for the job and 24/7 servitude. Of tech that can reach thousands, but can't talk to one.
I blame those self-appointed training 'experts'.
The gurus that preach the gospel of 'better'.
We don't need better estate agents. We don't need better realtors.
We need estate agents and realtors to be more vulnerable.
To be authentic, genuine, transparent and with the courage to be imperfect.
Estate agents who portray a perfect career/life, filled with superficial success, aren't taken seriously - except by those wannabe's who desire the very same thing. Everybody else will be turned off.
You're pushing vendors away because they don't believe you. Instead of drawing them in with a few failures to which they could relate.
"It's not about you, or your agency. Nobody cares." says my good friend, Christopher Watkin.
To which my response was. Nobody Cares? Everybody Cares.
The Story That No Other Can Tell.
The story of YOU.
Who you are. What you believe.
Not what you do. Or, how you do it, better.
The story of YOU requires investment of time, in personal brand.
Be careful, though, how that personal brand is developed.
It's little to do with visibility. Little to do with the most likes on social media.
It's little to do with being outrageous or impertinent.
It's about allowing the vendors/employees, that belong in your business, to find you and when they do, they stay.
Trust, loyalty and community.
So preferable to hustling for your worth.
Thanks, as always, for reading:)
If I can help with some advice, just get in touch. Happy to help.
Chris.
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