I have a number of Realtors who work with Branding and Marketing companies to create a specific identity in a marketplace that will set them apart from their competitors. One of my clients is beginning that work and she asked me to quickly look over her responses in this questionnaire because sometimes it is hard to be objective about yourself. As I often find, there were lots of the usual cliches about experience, trust, awards and #1’s and social media mentioned . I also found, as I typically do, she sold herself short in most of the answers but in considering how I would rewrite her thoughts, I was struck by her value as an agent.
One question she was asked to answer – What is one major way that you are different from the competition?
One easy answer -(not hers) she is a female in a male dominated marketplace in her area. I am sure the marketing company will be able to work with this.
The better answer. She has 26 years of experience in her area and in fact, she raised her kids in the neighborhood. She knows her neighbors and meets them for coffee in the same coffee shop week after week, season after season and has for years -and they are all there unless they are sick or as she is beginning to experience, have died.
She’s walked the halls of the schools, and yet trudges through the fields of the acreages. She scrutinizes the fine print two and three times and negotiates to the last dollar to make sure her sellers get the most money and her buyers pay the least. She holds the hands of elderly grieving widows who are looking at nursing homes as their last home, and walks with angry couples in the midst of a divorce so they can navigate the emotional waters well. She delivers baby gifts to the moms and dads who bought their first home with her two years ago and she pins up curtains to help ensure a property looks market ready and puts its best face forward. She’s had kids on the hockey teams, now she sponsors the hockey teams year after year even though her kids have moved on. She seems to be everywhere when they need help to raise funds for something. She skates with her clients and Santa and bakes cookies by the hundreds to raise awareness for breast cancer in her community. She is the face of a great local Realtor in her neighborhood. She turns up 100% of the time and gives 110% of herself to ensure that others have a better life.
Likely that won’t be what turns up on the marketing when it is eventually created.
Likely it will say something like… knowledge, expert, and #1.
It is sort of a shame.