Have you ever just felt defeated in this business? Wondering how you are going to land your next client (or any client!)? Have you ever looked at someone else and wonder how they do it? How about feeling like there is just no room for you?
Well don’t feel bad, that’s totally expected and we’ve all been there! Did you know there are over 19,000 agents just in the western suburbs of Chicago alone? No wonder we all feel like everyone knows five other REALTORS® besides you, because they do!
Today we are going to talk about the five things you need to do to separate yourself from the pack! I speak from experience, if I could survive the 2008 market based out of my house and be here today running a boutique brokerage of 23 agents as well as personally selling 50 homes per year, you can find your way too!
1) Stop Scrolling! Stop Comparing!
Are you playing the comparison game quietly as you scroll your competition on social? Do you wonder if there is any room left for you? How can you get your slice of the pie? Well, the truth is you have got it all wrong. It’s not about getting a piece or slice of their pie. It’s about baking your own. Stop comparing, you are losing focus and avoiding action because of it.
Social media is sunshine and rainbows, you are not seeing the whole picture! Stop thinking anyone can get the 90 foot bamboo without the 5 years of waiting, it’s just not true! You have to work for it! This is about getting real with yourself and separating yourself.
“The few who do, are the envy of the many who only watch” – Jim Rohn
Now that you are going to stop scrolling and comparing it’s time to determine who you are in this business.
2) There is Only One You, Uniquely Perfect!
Ok great, you have heard that before right? Let me ask you what you have done about it? Or are you just stuck? Maybe everything you think of sounds just like everyone else. How do you find your “you” that anyone will care about? It’s going to require you to take action.
You need to call six people tomorrow. They can be your mom, best friend, client, peer, etc. the only catch is they have to be people who really know you and will be honest with you.
I want you to ask them if they were buying or selling a house what about you would make them want to use your services. The point is to find out what about your personality stands out so you can capitalize on it and brand yourself.
When I did this, the recurring theme was honest, straightforward, and no nonsense. I am transparent, to the point, and I have a low tolerance for nonsense! So how can I use that to work for me in my business? Let’s me tell you how!
3) Craft Your Signature Greeting
I want you to use the character traits given to you by your peers and start drafting four to six sentences on why someone should work with YOU! Everyone says they give great service or that they love the business blah, blah, blah no one cares. We need you to stop saying what everyone else is saying because it just lumps you into the pack. It has you fighting for a slice of pie instead of baking your own! You make your own by putting forth an intentional effort to capitalize on your gifts.
I am going to share my signature greeting:
I am Nicole Tudisco with Wheatland Realty… there are two things that separate me from my competition the first is I do real estate the right way even if other ways are more profitable. The second is I do not participate in dual agency. I don’t believe you can have one agent representing both the buyer and seller and treat both parties fairly. I will always be your advocate and only yours. I’m Nicole Tudisco with Wheatland Realty “your cure for the common REALTOR®”
I am sure you are wondering how I crafted that from the character traits right? Well let me ask you, does the greeting above sound honest, no nonsense, and straightforward? I think so. The personality traits are a launching pad of how the outside world views you so you can focus on those traits and see how they relate to how you work in your business and for your clients. For me, I don’t like salesy people and I don’t like dual agency so I combined it all together. How will you use your traits to service your clients? Craft your greeting and bake your own pie!
4) Practice and Memorize
Once you write it YOU MUST PRACTICE IT and MEMORIZE IT. Don’t skip this step! You want to know it forward and backward so it rolls off your tongue naturally! You want to land that listing presentation right? You better know why they should choose YOU not just your brokerage.
5) Professional, Consistent Messaging
Your signature greeting is all about your brand! It’s your WHY for your clients and for you! You should be communicating this over an over again in different variations every chance you get! The message of who you are and how it relates to your real estate clients needs to be professionally and consistently communicated.
For example, I put “the cure for the common REALTOR®” on everything! Mugs, business cards, email signatures, hashtags etc.
I also used my no-nonsense approach to emphasize we do real estate the right way, which is my way of saying I am not salesy, I am honest. My character traits can also be translated into a great skill when negotiating contracts or in the home inspection. I am never going to talk someone into a home that is not healthy because I put clients before my pocketbook.
Do you see how I used character traits of honest, straightforward, and no-nonsense to separate myself from the crowd? Agents just don’t take the time to really figure out who they are in this business and how it helps their clients. So do yourself a favor, don’t skip this step! It made a world of difference for me in my career during the 2008 crash and it’s truly part of the reason I am still standing here today.
My friends stop fighting fom crumbs from your competitions pie, bake your own new pie!