20 Mar If You Want Better, Try This.
If you want better, try this.
What you want and what you need, of course, they're two very different things.
You want to be a better estate agent/realtor.
Better at getting attention.
Better at attracting 'hot' leads.
Better at getting appointments.
Better at convincing and converting those leads to instructions.
Better at negotiating with buyers.
Just better. At everything.
Here's the thing: Only you care about being better.
Vendors don't care about you being better. They're not looking for the best agency, if that even exits.
All they care about is that you do your job. To the best of your ability.
They place their faith in your promises.
They don't care whether you are better than your competitors. Or whether you are better than you were yesterday.
Just do your job!
There will, of course, always be those that encourage you to be better. Those that profit, from pitting you and your agency against other agencies.
It is these siren voices that have destroyed the reputation of this industry.
Agents that blindly follow, even when they are badly led.
So instead of what you want, try this instead.
Try different.
That's what you need.
Unless you can distinguish yourself, or your agency, from the multitude of other agencies/realtors, you will be trapped in a purgatory of inadequacy and endless comparisons.
"Our brains filter out consistency, in favor of focusing on differences." - Chip & Dan Heath, Authors of Made to Stick.
Realtors & estate agents are perceived a commodity. They do themselves no favors by playing up to this stereotype.
Similar processes. Similar marketing initiatives. Similar strategy.
It's a label that carries a stigma. One that every agent has to overcome - before they even get started.
So, be different. How difficult is that?
Turns out for most, it's extremely difficult.
Agents like fitting in. They like to be part of the industry. They enjoy the 'pat on the back' from the awards ceremony. Recognition that they are succeeding. When in reality, these awards are meaningless.
They enjoy hiding behind a corporate brand. Working for 'the man'.
Top-producer, Gold, or platinum membership. Ambassador's awards, Chairman's Club, Diamond awards. You name it, there's likely an award for it.
At the end of the day, they're still just another high-performing realtor. With all the negative connotations that brings.
Being different has nothing to do with competence. Nothing to do with what you do, or why you do it.
The difference is YOU.
Me?
That's right.
Who are you?
Don't tell me what you do. Don't tell me why you do it. Or where. Or how exceptional. I can get that script from every other realtor/agent.
Here's the hard part and why so few have the courage to be different.
It requires you to share your beliefs and values and, as a result, there's a chance that I might not like you.
As opposed to the current everything to everybody mentality.
Selling vanilla at scale.
Being least offensive to the greatest number.
There is no best when your focus is personal brand.
You're not competing.
You're not winning, or losing. Crushing it, or killing it.
You're sharing your character - the flaws, as well as the good stuff.
Those flaws aren't a sign of weakness. Quite the opposite.
They highlight your strength.
Honest enough to admit to them. Instead of avoiding them.
And it is then, when vendors/landlords understand that you are fallible, that the connection is made.
An agent vulnerable enough to admit to not being the best.
A vendor/landlord not seeking the best.
The start of a long-term relationship that eventually turns to trust.
No other agency has a chance.
An audience of one. That's where every success story starts.
The Oprah Winfrey's and Graham Norton's of this world started with one listener.
Then, they grew that audience. Not with promises. Not with advertising. Not with anything other than them just being themselves and sharing their opinions with those who would listen. If either host moved to another media platform, their audience would follow.
An audience. Shouldn't that be how estate agency becomes better?
Thanks, as always, for reading.
If you have any comments, agree or disagree, I would love to hear from you.
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