How To Be Perceived As A Real Estate Expert - or NOT

You know what they say... "Perception is Reality."

THINK DR. PHIL.  There's nothing magical about his advice that makes it any better than the same advice from another therapist with comparable training.  He doesn't have an exclusive lock on knowledge or experience in his field.  Yet, without ever saying "I'm an expert", Dr. Phil is perceived as more than an expert - he's often considered THE expert when it comes to family therapy.  He does this through a marketing model known as one-to-many marketing.

Long before Dr. Phil became Oprah's consultant and attained celebrity status, he offered information about family therapy to multiple consumers at one time through seminars and public speaking, promoting himself as the "go-to" guy in his field.  Then came television appearances, books, and his own daily show.  While he doesn't have any secrets or greater expertise to offer, he delivers his message differently than other therapists who meet one on one in their offices with one patient at a time.  Dr. Phil has, through his one-to-many marketing, created the perception that he is THE expert.  And you know what they say about perception...

Just for fun, let's imagine Dr. Phil trading in his therapist credentials for a real estate license.  Do you think Realtor Phil would be advertising Free Market Analysis in local newspapers or mailings, trying to generate one phone call from one prospective client at a time? Of course not!  (With all due respect to real estate trainers, that strategy is so "yesterday".)

It's very likely that Realtor Phil would apply the same marketing model that works for Dr. Phil, i.e. one-to-many marketing.  He probably would conduct home buyer and seller seminars, speak to community groups and, of course, blog on ActiveRain and elsewhere - dispensing high-quality advice to many people at one time, promoting the perception that he is THE real estate expert, without ever saying "I am an expert".

One-to-many marketing, then, is how to be perceived as a real estate expert - at least one of the ways.  Each content-rich blog you post adds to the perception that you are THE real estate expert in your market.  And "Perception is reality" in the eyes of consumers.

P.S.  - If showcasing your expertise in a blog promotes a perception of you as a real estate expert, then blogs that are void of quality content create the OPPOSITE perception in this one-to-many marketing model.  Saying "Have a Happy July 4" in 50 words or more on a real estate blog leaves readers scratching their heads and saying NEXT AGENT, PLEASE.  You may pick up 200 points on ActiveRain, but the perception is that you have nothing of value to say about real estate, and "Perception is reality" in the eyes of consumers.

Please read these excellent recent posts about quality blogging: 

1. What ActiveRain Can Do For All of Us,
2. Raising the Bar on ActiveRain:  Let's Bring It Up a Notch,
   Why Are You on ActiveRain?