There are thousands of real estate agents out there looking for listings. They all claim the same thing - that they will give owners great service (sounds like some mortgage guys/gals I know... what for that post shortly). It becomes a challenge to differentiate yourself from the competition because of the large numbers of competing agents. Actually, it is not as much of a challenge as it may seem. How much of the competition seems to stand out from each other? If you have not seen them before, Greg Nino from Houston, TX offers some excellent examples of what NOT to do - Example 1 - How NOT to nail a listing and Example 2 - Mr. Annoying.
With everyone offering a variation of the same thing - great service, discounts on commissions and/or free market analyses - it opens the door for you to come up with an offer that is unique and is more likely to help them sell the house. The concept of uniqueness is important because it is tied to value. If your offer is the same as everyone else's, it is not likely to seem valuable.
One such offer would be a free home warranty. The home warranty cost the agent a few hundred dollars but is well worth it. The home becomes more marketable because it offers security to potential buyers. And the agent does not have to pay for the warranty unless the home sells - making it a no-risk investment. Why offer to discount your commission for what could amount to several thousands of dollars when you can add value to the transaction for a few hundred dollars?
There are other offers that an agent can develop besides home warranties. However, I thought this was an excellent example of an offer not carried by the typical agent that also adds value to the transaction. It would be interesting to hear what other offers you have encountered or utilized when marketing for listings. Sharing ideas, such as these, makes us all stronger in the long run. What do you offer to your client that makes you stand out?
Based on some feedback below, there are a few additional items that are currently being used and has been found successful:
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Listing Home Inspection - Provides value because this could delay the home sale if there are things that need to be fixed prior to selling the home. It also leaves little room for the buyer to negotiate because any items that need to be addressed can be identified and fixed before the first offer comes in (great idea Jim).
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Home Staging Consultation - This is a great idea because you are helping get the home ready for a 'buyer'. Homeowners are very proud of what they have done to their home, but do not always decorate to a buyers taste. A home stager will add additional value by ensuring certain areas are not filled with clutter and making other areas more appealing to sit and relax (great idea Karen).
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Cleaning Service - Perhaps offer a cleaning service for those clients that are on the road a lot and may not be able to have the home cleaned prior to their next trip and your showing. A cleaning service can come in once a week or so to ensure that things are kept tidy. Remember that 'your clean' is not necessarily someone else's idea of clean.
I think I am going to dive right into my next post, but did not want to make this post too large. Watch for the next post or SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG
Make every day successful!
John Cannata - Reliant Mortgage - Dallas, TX
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