"You did what?!!" As a new agent here in Larchmont, NY - Westchester County suburb, 20 miles from the NYC - most people react with a sad chuckle, or something along the lines of, "okaaayyy," when I tell them that I recently joined up with Weichert Realtors. As someone who is lucky enough to work from home (I have my own PR consulting business) and was born and raised here, I tell people it's actually a good time to get in the business.
huh?
Yup. Unlike the go-go times of say 5 years ago, when agents were thrown in the car and told to go sell, today's newbies can actually learn the business from the ground up. We HAVE to do things the right way to grow our business. No cutting corners anymore. I'm learning more than I ever wanted to know about farming, prospecting for clients and hitting the phones. Being a PR person, I know all about branding yourself and selling myself to a potential client.
As the deadwood drops by the wayside over the next few years, and the market stages a comeback (hey, there's nowhere to go but up, right?), the newbies who worked their butts off in the lean times will be rewarded with a thriving business builit on a rock-solid foundation.
I love tryng to generate press and build buzz and my business. Having worked for leading PR firms including Edelman, Weber Shandwick and others, on brands like Hershey, Eddie Bauer, Schick and Heineken beer, I apply the same strategies to my brand as I did to theirs.
A couple of things I've learned along the way
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Treat yourself like a brand: Everything you say and do shapes your brand. Look, act, walk and talk like the real estate expert you are. 24/7/365
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Postition yourself as an expert: Become a "go to source" for you clients and the media (more on that later) Provide a consumer benefit (expert and honest counsel) to your clients, and you will be rewarded with referrals. Know you area and inventory!
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Be where you clients live, work and play:If you think you can sit at home and wait for the phone to ring, you're in the wrong business. I meet more clients at Starbucks, the playground and the supermarket then I ever imagine. Everyone you meet probably knows at leat one person who is thinking about buying or selling. Go meet them!
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Go Guerilla!:Don't have a huge marketing budget? Think outside the box and look for local opportunities to get your brand (website) out there. Volunteer for a local charity event, barter your services for advertising or booth space where you can host an "open house" q & a for potential homebuyers/sellers.
Anyone seeing a difference in the work habits of newbies of today versus 5 years ago??
Gregg Goldsholl
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