Why do Realtors(R) still advertise the "FREE CMA"? Sorry, but I shake my head every time I see this. It's always prominently displayed on billboards, bus benches, postcards, magazine ads... with the word "FREE" in bold, italics, all caps -- everything possible to draw attention to it.
Now I'm not even going to touch on the subject of whether we should be donating our time, energy, and money for CMA's -- there are good arguments on both sides. My question is about why we feel compelled to advertise it, as though this is part of our value proposition. Virtually every one of us offers a free CMA -- and as far as I can tell, the general public is fully aware of that fact.
Shouldn't our marketing dollars be spent telling the world how we're DIFFERENT from our competition? What UNIQUE value we bring to the table? Do we doubt that, as individuals, we each have certain strengths and skills that others in our profession don't have?
As Realtors(R), we have LOTS of expenses. So we want our advertising dollars to be well-spent, which means it's important to focus on why a customer should work with YOU, instead of any of a thousand other agents in your marketplace.
Advice for colleagues: Know yourself. Have confidence in your value. Be clear on what sets you apart. And THAT'S what your marketing plan should communicate.
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