Don't you wish you were the iPod of the Real Estate industry?
I just started reading the book "Chasing Cool" by Noah Kerner and Gene Pressman, and it's really got me thinking about my industry, my company, and my brand.
What I am getting out of this book is that there is just way too much copying going on, and not enough originality...yes, even in the mortgage and real estate business.
We are always looking at others to see how they do things, and then trying to copy them...which of course we fail at because we don't have the passion for the idea like the person who created it. Think about the seminars we attend...the things we subscribe to....the website "templates" we use.
We are constantly being told that "The system has already been built for you, you just need to follow it."
A GREAT example of positioning used in the book is Grey Goose Vodka. Here is a basic commodity that with some original thinking the company was able to charge twice as much as its competitor. Can you imagine if you are a real estate agent and you were able to charge 12% commissions, and be seen as the best in your category. (By the way, the book also goes on to discuss that Grey Goose Vodka was rarely the best tasting vodka in taste tests).
As our industry has evolved into being seen by consumers as a "commodity", it is critical to separate ourselves from the crowd.
The point that this book makes to me is how do we TRULY differentiate ourselves when our ads all look the same, the process is the same, our speech is the same, our tactics are the same.
My goal from now on is to re-create my company, and no longer copy what others do, and I hope you might do the same.
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