Branding or BS ... What's Your USP?

As I am in the process of building a new brokerage, I've been reading a lot of other agent and brokerage websites and marketing material to see how the competition is branding themselves.  This has actually been a hobby of mine for awhile, but as I am trying to put my thoughts onto paper it has been more intense as of late.  

The thing that sticks out to me is that after you strip away the different logos and corporate colors, the common thread that every agent and brokerage has is that they are number one at something.  Funny thing is, the last I checked, there can only be one number one for each particular category.  This goes for a brokerage as well as an individual agent.  Here's the problem ... If everyone says they're the best <whatever>, how does a potential buyer or seller pick someone to call?  Are today's buyers and sellers really attracted to an agent with their face plastered all over hell-and-gone with self-serving "I'm the greatest" slogans and photos of their dogs/boat/fancy car?  I'm a pretty average guy and those ads turn me off, so I assume I'm not the only one.

On the flip side, when an agent advertises that they "go the extra mile" or guarantee "100% Satisfaction" so they can be the client's "agent for life" how does that play?  If everyone is going the extra mile, doesn't that make the "extra mile" a minimum level of service?  If your selling point to a potential client is weekly status reports, what does that say for the industry?  Wouldn't you - as a buyer or seller of anything - EXPECT a regular status update?  What I'm trying to say here, I suppose, is when we advertise what should be a basic level of service as a unique selling proposition (USP), what does that say about you?  About your industry?

Is all the talk about branding that has been flying around the interwebs lately BS?  Take a look at yourself.  Take a look at your brokerage.  Try to put yourself in the shoes of a potential client and really be honest with yourself.  What makes you or your company truly stand out from the crowd?  What makes you or your company unique?  Do you have an answer?  Really?  Would YOU buy or sell a home from yourself?  From your company?  If so, WHY?  If not, WHY NOT?

Figure out what your USP is and build your brand around that.  When you are truly unique you have no competition.