Home : Blogs : Bryant Tutas Broker/REALTOR(R) Tutas Towne Realty, Inc : Broker Bryant's Real Estate Ramblings

Defining Your Unique Value Proposition

Polly want a cracker? Hi folks. OK so Wendy and me are now "Official Short Sale Instructors." Even though we are instructing we are also learning. We are learning how to work together and how to market our new business. With any new business venture one of the first things you want to define is your "Unique Value Proposition".

Your Unique Value Proposition is:

Clearly identifying how your products and services are different from your competition.

Basically, you have to know what sets you apart from your competition. Whether you are selling houses, Webinars or widgets, if you don't have something unique to sell, you will struggle. You will get lost in the mix of ordinary.

And.....it's NOT necessarily the product that has to be unique. It could be the marketing (Think Geico). It could be the delivery (NetFlix). Or, of course, it could very well the product (Swiss Army Knife) .

Whatever business you are in you MUST be able to answer the question......

"Why should your ideal customer purchase from you rather than from anybody else?"

On our quest to answer this question, Wendy and I keep getting back to this answer....

"We are both full-time, working Brokers who list and sell short sales, all day, every day."

So what is YOUR Unique Value Proposition? Do you know?

WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAYING

"I’ve completed lots of training but feel yours was most valuable in your method of approach and delivery. The dialogue made it feel like I was in an actual brick and mortar classroom with real live scenario." Wendy Weber, Realtor, Scottsdale, AZ

"Your webinar was very impressive and informative. I feel that it didn't come across as a lecture, but good and clear conversation. The short sale is a very complex process, but you have made it much clearer and there was a lot of useful information." Richard Barton Real Estate Investor

"I am really glad you guys are doing this, I was looking for a class taught by practicing real estate brokers." Jana Hristova

"I enjoyed the SS session 1 yesterday and look forward to the next 4. After Wendy’s comment about the lame duck DOD HAP program yesterday I decided to blast my Congressman and 2 Senators an email blasting DODs inaction as a Citizen, Veteran and Realtor serving military clients." Don Duft, REALTOR®

"I just wanted to thank you again and let you know that you and Wendy did a fabulous job! I’m really looking forward to the next one." Debe Maxwell, Realtor®/Broker

Posted by Bryant Tutas Broker/REALTOR(R) Tutas Towne Realty, Inc on 07/03/2009 08:45 PM

Comments (34)

Short Sales in the Training Channel

webinar, short sale basics

Originally posted at: BrokerBryant.com: Defining Your Unique Value Proposition

Post is included in group: Short Sale Support Group
Post is included in group: Short Sales Specialists
Post is included in group: Short Sale REALTORS®
Post is included in group: Sharing Information of Short Sales
Post is included in group: Real Estate Rookie

34 Comments on Defining Your Unique Value Proposition

JUL

Reserved Parking For "The Lovely Wife"...TLW...ROAR!

Hun...

I love it. <Be Unique or Be Forgotten> Famous words here on AR :)

Btw...My parrots added value to this post :)

TLW...ROAR!

BB - I am sure you both make great instructors and if I ever decide that short sales should be my niche I will be calling on you to teach me a thing or two.

Well defined and well carved out niche that you have dedicated to Bryant !

Your tag line does give confidence that a consumer should choose you guys as 'full time, all day, short sales experts" .... nicely done.

For me I am told enough times that I believe it, that "I have a completely different persona and approach to buyer representation than other agents my clients have used. More versed in the art of negotiating and positioning in todays market, and - so I'm told - "a pleasant, positive breath of fresh air to to take the home purchase journey with" - end quote !

Wordy I know, but with 80%+ of my business coming from referral, there may be something to it

... standing out from your competition with the value you provide is essential - today more than ever.

I want to think more about this. I want to think about what makes my ideal clients and what my unique proposition is....

Bryant, It all boils down to what makes us unique from our competition!!

Bryant those are excellent testimonials of the value that people feel you are bring to them. The question you pose is one that we need to ask ourselves on a regular bases.

Still trying to figure mine out. Just being nice and honest isn't cutting it!

Your training should be mandatory for agents in this area who are, by and large, totally clueless about the process.

Bryant--reminds me of those golden arches--well defined and they certainly do have the marketing down-pat!

I hope you and Billie have a Fabulous Fourth!

Wonderful. Did I hear right, you will now be training the lenders? LOL but some of them really do need it.

This is something we should all be consciously aware of and give some thought to. Thanks Bryant!

I'm kind of a jack of all trades broker... and that is my unique value. I have agents working for me that specialize in

new construction
REOs
buyers agency
sellers agency

And I have the ability to assist and help all of them. I'm very hands on. My REO agent was "invited" to my office to interview by another agent. The other agent told her I would "get in her business", she said she didn't know if she'd like that, 4 years later I am pretty sure she LOVES it.

Oh crap, if I could figure out this mystery I might find that elusive forture! If you can help me figure out what is unique about me I will cut you in on all my millions! I am a nice person and easy going....does that count (in addition to my tax and accounting background?) :D

Bryant that is great to hear. I guess I know who to come to when and if I ever get back into short sales. But I agree agents need to figure out their position and market it.

I agree; unique value propositions are an important way to differentiate yourself when thousands of other people are doing the same thing.

Sounds like you had a great class... Short Sales are much different. I enjoy working them although they do take additional time and patience.

When will your next class pickup ?

I have excellent communication skills, and I'm very creative in my marketing due to 3 years of art lessons. When you combine a personality that's both strong and personable, with excellent communication skills, then add a dose of superior marketing, you have a well-rounded agent who is able to adapt to the circumstances and brainstorm whatever situation arises.

I have more, but I think I'll use it to write another blog post. Thanks for the idea =P

Bryant, great point! You have to believe you are the best and be able to communicate that to your prospective customers/clients. One of our strongest points is that we keep re-inventing ourselves, reassessing what works and what needs to change, so we adapt to whatever market we find ourselves in and help our buyers and sellers be successful in today's market, not the market they wish it was.

Sharon

move over jimi... Rene brought his strat! We be jammin'...

Awesome points well made... believe believe believe and serve...

ITM Haiku...

Marketing like art.

Takes vision skill commitment.

Success can be yours...

JUL

Hi Bryant!
You couldn't be more correct...if you can't differentiate yourself from the crowd, you will remain in the crowd. Personally, I want to be the one holding up the sign!

Bryant- Most people want to be general for fear of losing a customer. However, when you really niche down, drill down- you actually make more money and profit because you are defining your market. People respond to that. Good luck in your new biz venture with Wendy. You both have great personalities and that has a lot to do with how well you are received by the attendants in the webinars.

Broker Bryant - This is something I have been trying to come up with for a while now. It is not coming to me very easily.

I think a lot of people struggle with this question. Looking for the "hook" - it helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of until you find the one that sticks and best describes what you do. Still working on it.

I'm considering using your services . . .thanks for the reminder.

Once we define our Unique Value Proposition, we also define our customers. And once we define our customers, we have zeroed in on our goals.

It all fits together very nicely. Thanks for the insight, Bryant.

Good morning everyone. Defining our Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is not easy.

The first step is to figure out who your ideal customer is. I read a book last year titled "The Answer". I didn't finish it because it lost my attention BUT they had quite a few chapters on figuring our who your ideal customer is.

In my real estate business. This ideal customer has changed quite a bit over the years. My entire business has changed directions over the last 2 years. I have gone from being 100% a listing Broker to having about 50% of my business right now being Buyers! Finding my UVP is proving very difficult.

Wendy and I were able to define our UVP quickly. I don't think we we were necesarily looking for one we just kept getting back to it. It made sense. We are not so much selling webinars as we are wanting to help agents learn short sales so they can help others.

Maybe we should all really think about oiur UVP this weekend. Put it in writing and place it near your desk so you can see it everyday. Come back and let me know what you come up with. Better yet....write a post about it.

Connie, Training the lenders is a GREAT idea!!!! I wonder how we could do that.

For those that asked, the Short Sale Basics webinar can be joined at anytime. You do not have to attend live. All 5 classes are being recorded. So you can join at any time and we'll catch you up. We designed this webinar so you can learn at your own pace. You can register by clicking on the link up there or sending us an email at shortsalebasics@gmail.com

Have a GREAT 4th of July!!!!

I have a thought...

Some of you may wish to consider asking your current customers what they believe your unique value is. That may very well produce some results that will help guide in the right direction.

Okay...That's it for me. Don't tell BB I'm talking Real Estate. It can be our little secret :)

TLW...ROAR!

Very timely topic for me and I love TLW's last comment as I have been doing just that. Why? Because I am in the process of designing and creating my own firm. Now it is all about me because I am not going to have any other agents...yet. So, all of my branding is about expressing my unique value. It is so exciting! I know you have had your own business for years and you do an excellent job of branding!

By the way, Bryant, last night there was a special - "How to sell your product to Oprah" THAT would really help our value position!

I have worked with many agents who promote that they can sell ANYTHING anywhere in the state. That's the thinking that gets you in trouble. If you're not knowledgeable in commercial or investments or short sales--don't take those listings! If you live 2 hours from an area, don't agree to represent a buyer there! But we get greedy and are always chasing that commission buck. If you are not knowledgeable in an area, REFER REFER REFER. It's better to take a piece of something than piss off a client or get sued later.

So think--what do you do best? What kinds of clients do you ENJOY working with? Then work on your UVP based on those answers.

I have built a successful business working with BUSINESS PEOPLE. As a past president of our chamber of commerce, a president of Rotary, a business owner myself--I enjoy working with like minded clients.

I am NOT good with first time homebuyers or investors. So I have hired agents who fit that niche and they work those clients.

So when I promote my office and me--I promote the BUSINESS-LIKE attitude and mindset in all my marketing. It attracts similar minded clients and I enjoy my work more.

Good luck!

BB, standing out, differentiating yourself from the masses, puts you far ahead in the game of business, and in life as well. Great point!!

LOL thanks for sharing BB.

I commented here yesterday. But since you & TLW are insisting that I ask you a question, I just added a little something for you, at the bottom of my comment stream =P

Hi BB: I've experienced the same thing -- I was mostly taking listings but lately it's been 50% buyers. In fact, it helps me with my listings, and that's what I told a seller yesterday in Campus Commons (Sacramento). That my work with buyers lets me look at the listing two different ways -- from a seller's perspective AND from a buyer's perspective, so I can market directly to buyers. I know what their hot buttons are. If all you ever do are listings, you can lose touch with what buyers want.

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?