Imagine you’re at a supermarket and you notice two bins of oranges. On the left is the Amazing Orange. On the right, the Super Orange. Which brand of oranges would you buy? After all, they’re both juicy, both delicious, and both contain healthy doses of vitamin C.
Chances are, you would pick the brand that is different in some important way. The Amazing Orange might cost less, be organically grown, or be seedless. Any one of those differences might tip the balance and motivate you to choose that brand over its competitor.
In marketing, that’s called differentiation. And it’s as important in real estate marketing as it is in produce sales!
If you want to maximize your real estate lead generation, you need to highlight how you’re different. That includes anything that makes you unique, exclusive or better when compared to other agents in your market.
So how do you figure out your differentiation? Here’s a simple brainstorming technique. Imagine you’re a buyer or seller and then ask, “Why would I hire you and not another agent who provides similar services?”
While brainstorming answers to that question, think about:
- Unique value-added services you provide.
- Your selling track record.
- Number of homes you find each year for buyers.
- Years in business.
- Testimonials from happy clients.
- Geographic farms you target. (Being the go-to agent in a particular area is a differentiation!)
- Type of properties you specialize in.
- Your brand, style and reputation.
- Things you’re particularly good at. (For example, negotiations.)
- Your commitment to excellent service and staying-in-touch.
That last example is particularly important. According to a survey published in MarketingResearch.com, clients perceive “excellence in personal service” to be twice as important as any other kind of differentiation. So, if great service to prospects and clients is something you do better than many other agents, make sure you highlight that on your agent website and in your other real estate marketing materials.
By the way, you can boost the level of service you provide to prospects and clients simply by the way you communicate with those groups. The best way to do that is by using an optimal combination of real estate direct mail, email marketing, calls and visits to consistently stay-in-touch with prospects and past clients to build those relationships. This not only promotes the perception that you provide excellent service, it also helps to generate more referrals from those contacts.
Prospects don’t decide to hire you because of similarities. They hire you because of differences. Highlight those in your real estate marketing and you’ll stand out as the best choice to more prospects.
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