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Why is it hard to stand out? How REALTORS Can Break the Mold

By
Real Estate Technology with IXACT Contact Real Estate CRM

Dr. Seuss once said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”  And this heartwarming advice certainly applies to real estate agents!  In a sea of REALTORS all working to get the next listing, catching your prospect’s eye can be a challenge.  Let’s explore some tried and true methods for standing out from the crowd as a Realtor and getting more attention from prospects.

You know that there are other real estate professionals working in your city or town, and that’s ok!  Every person has a different set of skills and experience to offer clients, and there is room for all of us to reach success.  But the key is to do a good job of communicating your specific skills so that the right prospects and leads find you and choose you to be their agent.

Working in an industry notorious for unusual hours and long to-do lists, sometimes marketing efforts aren’t your first priority.  But without marketing effectively, how will you generate leads? Standing out from other Realtors requires that you market yourself properly, offer unbeatable service, and keep in touch with your prospects and past clients.  Here are some of my favorite tips for how you can break the mold and stand out from all the other real estate agents in your town.

Know your audience.

Different home sellers and buyers have very different needs.  Some empty nesters are looking to downsize, growing families need a larger home, and young professionals may be looking for a trendy condo.  When you specialize in particular areas, you can become an expert and establish yourself as the go-to agent for your target demographic. It’s a powerful way to differentiate yourself from the other real estate agents in your city!

Build an online presence.

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions people make in their lifetime, so it’s obvious that they’d want to work with a reputable Realtor. In today’s digital world, prospects are most likely to turn to the internet to find a real estate agent. In fact, over 60% of buyers use Google to find an agent (Properties Online, 2014). Your Realtor website is the first contact many prospects will have with you, so make sure it’s professional, informative, and captures leads automatically!

Provide unbeatable service.

Even after you’ve turned your lead into a client, it’s still important to strive to break the mold! Going above and beyond to give your clients a positive experience means that they’re more likely to recommend you to their friends and family. No matter how eye-catching your marketing is, it’s your genuine service that will make you stand out.

Don’t lose touch.

Your marketing efforts shouldn’t end after you hand over the keys!  Keeping in touch with your past clients by nurturing your relationships means securing lifetime loyal clients! Touch base regularly with phone calls, reach out to wish them a happy birthday or congratulate them on a move in anniversary, and regularly send newsletter updates.  Your past clients will appreciate the personal touch, and be more likely to use your services again, or recommend you to others.

How to break the mold.

Maybe you find yourself agreeing with all these tips for how to stand out, but you don’t feel you have the time to make it all happen. That’s where your real estate CRM comes in!  A good real estate CRM like IXACT Contact comes loaded with pre-written activity plans that will appeal to your specific audience, so you can keep in touch automatically.

It’s easy to establish your online presence with IXACT Contact’s Realtor Websites.  They come with 16 pages of quality content, and a real estate blog! You’ll establish yourself as an expert in everything home-ownership related and prospects will see you as a reputable real estate professional.

With IXACT Contact’s Activity Plans keeping you organized, you’ll be able to deliver outstanding service with less effort.  Listing and closing Activity Plans are a series of tasks with corresponding due dates. At the right date and time, the CRM will remind you to take specific actions, like install a lockbox, update the MLS, or send the client a progress report, so nothing falls through the cracks when listing or closing a home.

Try IXACT Contact FREE for 5 weeks and be amazed by how this powerful tool helps you stand out from the crowd.

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Richard Escue
Gaff's Realty - Port Orange, FL

Great Post! I use IXACT Contact and feels it makes it very easy to keep in touch.

Nov 19, 2015 05:37 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks Richard Escue! I love hearing from happy customers who find IXACT Contact helpful! All the best.

Nov 19, 2015 05:55 AM
Bill Reddington
Re/max By The Sea - Destin, FL
Destin Florida Real Estate

Consistency and follow up are a necessity. I personally prefer face to face.

Nov 19, 2015 05:52 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Very true. Thanks for commenting, Bill Reddington

Nov 19, 2015 05:56 AM
Ron Aguilar
Gateway Mortgage Group - Saint George, UT
Mortgage & Real Estate Advisor since 1995

Very good points, thanks for the post

Nov 19, 2015 05:54 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks, Ron Aguilar. So glad you enjoyed it! 

Nov 19, 2015 05:58 AM
Bill & Cyndi Daves
Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, Murphy and Beyond! - Hiawassee, GA
TeamDAVES - Your REALTORS In the GA/NC Mountains!

Great post.  Love those Chuck's!!

Nov 19, 2015 06:17 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks Bill & Cyndi Daves! I do too! 

Nov 19, 2015 10:14 PM
Deborah Grimaldi
Grimaldi Appraisal Services - Cranston, RI
(401) 837-9633

Some great advice for sure. Standing out is very important and letting your clients know what you do for a living and what your specialties are is even more important, great article. 

Nov 19, 2015 06:30 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks for your comment Deborah Grimaldi

Nov 19, 2015 10:14 PM
Bob Marshall
Home Smart Ion Real Estate - Lynnwood, WA

Thanks Rich. Keeping in touch with prior clients is the easiest and best way to increase business. Working by refrral really works.

Nov 19, 2015 07:35 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Referrals are the bread and butter for many successful agents. Thanks for your comment Bob Marshall 

Nov 19, 2015 10:15 PM
Gordon Crawford
Gordon Crawford Home Selling Team - Morristown, NJ
Your Morris County Specialist!

Rich,

What a great post! Really a common sense approach. I couldn't agree with you more. Dr. Seuss was very smart!

Gordon

Nov 19, 2015 07:49 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Glad you enjoyed it Gordon Crawford.  

Nov 19, 2015 10:15 PM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

It's hard to stand out from everyone else, but it's so important to creating your brand. 

Nov 19, 2015 07:59 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

It's something that is constantly on agent's minds, and rightfully so! Thanks for commenting Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner 

Nov 19, 2015 10:16 PM
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

Dr. Seuss had it right.  Standing out is important in the real estate arena.

Nov 19, 2015 09:15 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

We can learn a lot from good old Dr. Seuss!

Nov 19, 2015 10:16 PM
Sandra Graves
Keller Williams Realty - Folsom, CA
Realtor

This is an excellent post with some great tips on standing out. Good point here: "Every person has a different set of skills and experience to offer clients, and there is room for all of us to reach success."

Nov 19, 2015 10:05 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks Sandra Graves

Nov 19, 2015 10:17 PM
Dorte Engel
RE/MAX Leading Edge - Bowie, MD
ABC - Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton & rest of Maryland

Dear Rich,

Have you seen Theodore Geisel's tram to his flying saucer-shaped beach hangout? Talk about standing out!

Nov 19, 2015 11:10 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

I'll have to check that out! Thanks for commenting!

Nov 19, 2015 10:17 PM
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

Great Post!  Standing out is a good thing and your points are well taken.  I particularly liked Provide Unbeatable Service AND Don't Lose Touch!

Nov 19, 2015 11:34 AM
Dagny Eason
Dagny's Real Estate - Wilton, CT
Fairfield County CT, CDPE Homes For Sale and Condo

Thank you for the information on your CRM.    

Nov 19, 2015 07:54 PM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Glad you enjoyed the post Dagny Eason! Don't hesitate to give us a call if you have any CRM questions 866.665.0018

Nov 19, 2015 10:36 PM
Chris Lima
Turtle Reef Realty - Port St Lucie, FL
Local or Global-Allow me to open doors for you.

Great post. Thanks for the information.  There's a lot to be said for Dr. Seuss!

Nov 19, 2015 09:41 PM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Can't argue with the best! Love Dr Seuss!

Nov 19, 2015 10:36 PM
Greg Mona
West USA Realty - Scottsdale, AZ
Professional Real Estate Representation for YOU!

Great points to follow Rich Gaasenbeek The "Don't Lose Touch" point resonates with me, as it is amazing how many folks I talk to that said once their deal closed they never heard from their Realtor again.  Bad move on their part but more business for the rest of us as a result!

Nov 20, 2015 12:16 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

So true Greg Mona! It's disappointing to hear that a lot of clients don't hear from their Realtor after a transaction!

Nov 20, 2015 01:11 AM
M.C. Dwyer
Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Felton, CA
MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist

Thanks for the tips, Rich.    I strive for what you call "unbeatable service" during the transaction, and to stay in touch afterward with valuable information.    Systems and CRM are absolutely key!

Nov 20, 2015 12:42 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Glad you enjoyed it M.C. Dwyer.  The right tools make it much easier to deliver unbeatable service!

Nov 20, 2015 01:12 AM
Dan Derito
Success! Real Estate - Brockton, MA

This is all great advice Rich. Stick to who, and what you are and provide the service you are good at. 

Nov 20, 2015 11:59 AM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks, Dan Derito

Nov 22, 2015 10:45 PM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

I especially agree with specializing in a couple of niche markets and really targeting them.  Sellers and buyers like to know they are dealing with an expert in their particilar location/situation

Nov 20, 2015 11:57 PM
Rich Gaasenbeek

Thanks for your comment Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR 

Nov 22, 2015 10:45 PM
Irina Tibbits
Panhandle Real Estate, Inc - Panama City, FL
Investment, Sellers, Buyers,Relocation

Thank you ! Very good points !

Nov 23, 2015 09:12 AM
MaryBeth Mills Muldowney
TradeWinds Realty Group LLC - Braintree, MA
Massachusetts Broker Owner

Great post - I only wish I had a Contact Management System from the very beginning of my career in real estate...I tell new Realtors that is the most important tool in their tool box.

Dec 26, 2015 01:57 AM