What is Your Unique Value Proposition as a Buyer's Agent?

Tammie, you've got me thinking now. I actually prefer working with sellers. I do work with buyers on ocassion, and the ones I have as clients we seem to get along well. I may have a way with working with first-time homebuyers because I don't mind explaining things in detail, and sometimes more than once.

Defining a UVP is always an interesting challenge. Let's be honest, there is little or nothing that you can come up with that any other agent couldn't also do or provide. The same training and tools are available to everyone. What potentially works in your favor is the fact that not everyone adopts the lessons of the training into their day-to-daybusiness or uses the tools that are available. To the extent that you do things differently (the execution of that training and tool usage) than the majority of agents in your area, that might provide you with a UVP. I suspect that just taking th time to think about a UVP and how to present it, will provide some differentiation.

Having said all of that,people choose agents for the darnedest reasons, not the least of which is whose name did they see last. We have agents in this area who put their faces and names on grocery store shopping carts. I'm certain that they get lots of clients from that exposure, whether or not they are good agents or have a UVP. Their UVP is "Hey, you know me, I'm on your shopping cart." 

So, rather than spend too much time on developing a UVP, I'd advise that you spend the time on marketing yourself through exposure - get as much as you can in as many places as you can. Get your name and face on as many refrigerator magnets as you can afford to send out, or in as many local newspaper and shopper mailers as you can afford. Do the postcard mailings and the door-to-door neighborhood walks and all of the other things that you'v been advised to do to get your name out there. 

Tammi - such great words of wisdom and so true in this houseing market. What you call "unique value proposition" in realestate, in staging we call this "finding our niche" what sets us apart from other stagers. For me, it's really about working with and around the clients needs, schedule and family life while there home is on the market. If they have pets, we find a way to make things neater and eliminate pet smells, but I don't tell my clients to send them off with relatives while their home is on the market. There are solutons to every problem - you just have to think outside the box!

I've recently started to target buyers and have come up with a few ideas. 

One of them was creating Youtube videos on certain communities in the area.  This worked well for an out of town prospect that called me about a home.  She really loved the video and saw that I went through extra lengths to give her an idea of what the neighborhood was like.

I have a few different value added depending on the home buyer. I close deals.

After all the UVP chatter...it better include "I can save you money" the why's and what's are the hard part, however, all a buyer really thinks about in using your services is, can you save me money!

Dick Beals

Thanks, Tammi, for nudging me to get this down ON PAPER! I think about it a lot, but I haven't written it down, and I need to.

Best of luck during the spring selling season!

I have to agree with Erica- by casting a net too wide, we do ourselves AND our clients a disservice.  By defining what it is at which we excel, we are able to really service a specific community.  That's not to say that we can't handle the other stuff (in most cases). 

Good topic. There certainly is a lot of good fodder here with the comments too!  As an EBA, I only work with buyers, and there is certainly a difference.  Like the countless hours I spend looking up property and knowing the market, inventory . . . etc., etc., etc.

Tammie: You said they are already sitting in front of you. Then I think it's all about bonding. Agents often make everything about THEM, how professional, how many years in the business, how many sales they've had, etc. etc. etc. I NEVER get asked that. It's all about THEM, and holding their hand, a lot!

Tammie, I also work for KW so I am familiar with UVP. I have been changing mine time after time - it is not easy to make it different from everyone else's . I have lots of experience relevant to real estate, but have a difficult time summarizing it. I don't want my clients to go sleep while I'm reciting my UVP. How long is yours?

Tammie, great advice. You are right - telling your clients how wonderful we are has little meaning to them. If we can show the benefits they will receive, they my be more open to hiring us. Thank you for your advice on FSBOs.