Does Your Brand Message Truly Represent Your Agency – Are you Who you Say You Are?
As a Real Estate Agent, working in a crowded marketplace, you should always be wary of the messages that you are putting out to your potential buyers, and by that I mean, Are You Who You Say You Are? Are you really a 'Property Specialist', or are you a ‘Collaborator’?
Let’s differentiate between the two before we go any further… essentially a ‘Property Specialist’ should know everything about the properties that they are selling, right down to the very last detail, whereas a ‘Collaborator’ is someone who collaborates with agencies all over the place, and has thousands of listings on their website that they probably won’t know much about. Now, I’m not saying that a ‘Collaborator’ won’t be a good Estate Agent, I’m just saying that if you do classify yourself as an agency that collaborates left, right and centre, just be careful about the wording that you use on your brand marketing, and in your property marketing strategy.
Of course, it doesn’t just come down to property, it also comes down to the area you work in, and whether you are a ‘Property Specialist’ or a ‘Collaborator, you should ALWAYS know about the area you work in, so that you can sell on the lifestyle benefits as well.
The word ‘Specialist’ is used a lot in Real Estate, and I think that Agent’s use it because they feel it’s what their potential Buyers want to hear. In a way, I can’t disagree, however, I think what they also want to hear is honesty and integrity – therefore if you claim to be a ‘property specialist’ and aren’t, then you are already setting off on the wrong foot.
It’s so important to get that first impression correct, to build trust and loyalty with your prospective buyer. If they contact you believing that they are speaking with a ‘Specialist’ and you can’t answer a question about the property they’re interested in, or the area in which the property is situated, then (even though that buyer won’t tell you) you’ve automatically lost credibility and trust, which you will find difficult to re-gain, no matter how hard you try.
Always start off on the right foot, and ensure your brand message represents exactly who you are… it’s so much better for everyone in the long term, not just for your buyers, but also for your Estate Agency!
* Please note that my use of the phrase ‘Collaborator’ is not meant in a bad way, and I’m not saying that they don’t do a good job as a Real Estate Agent. I’m merely using it as a comparison/differentiate tool to highlight the importance of using the correct terminology on your brand messaging.
