The Road to Remarkable

The Road to Remarkable in Real Estate 

In his book, "The Purple Cow" noted author and marketing guru Seth Godin talks a lot about being 'remarkable.'

"The essence of the Purple Cow," Seth states, "the reason it would shine among a crowd of perfectly competent, even undeniably excellent cows, is that is would be remarkable. Something remarkable is worth talking about, worth paying attention to. Boring stuff quickly becomes invisible."

He goes on to say, "The world is full of boring stuff - just plain ole' brown cows - which is why so few people pay attention. Remarkable marketing is the art of building things worth noticing right into your product or services. Not just slapping on the marketing function as a last-minute add-on, but also understanding from the outset that if you're offering itself isn't remarkable, then it's invisible."

The million dollar question is this - How do we become 'remarkable' in our real estate business? Certainly, there is a huge herd of perfectly competent brown cow realtor/brokers out there, and many who are undeniably excellent in their own right.

But how do we stand out from the masses? How do we make the leap from competent/excellent to 'remarkable?' How do we go from being invisible to being worthy of garnering attention?

The Road to Remarkable in Real Estate is both an unfortunate and a fortunate one. It's unfortunate in the sense that our industry is plagued by a high percentage of people who seem satisfied and complacent with being average, or what Seth calls being 'invisible.' We trudge along, falling in step with the collective traditions and habits of those around us, rarely questioning method or inviting innovation. Our attitudes and services are predictable and boring. We set the bar much too low and consumer expectations are even lower.

However, it's fortunate in that there is tremendous opportunity for a small minority of us to rise above the noise of average, to gain attention, become noticed, and be truly remarkable. Luckily, embarking upon this adventure only requires following a few foundational footsteps.

With that said, allow me to suggest 5 basic principles to begin your journey on the Road to Remarkable:

5 Steps to Becoming Remarkable in Real Estate

1.   Be Present - Amazingly, a large portion of our success and remarkability factor is achieved by simply 'showing up.' Reputations for remarkable grow out of a punctual presence. It's rather difficult to be noticed if you're not around! 

2.   Be Accessible - Let's face it, today's consumers/clients are very demanding. They've been spoiled by our instant microwave drive-thru culture. They become quickly fickle and impatient. If they can't get the information they want/need, they'll wander off and find it elsewhere. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people is that they can't get ahold of their agent!

3.   Be Responsive - Don't wait for your clients to call you, call them first. Be proactive! When they email you, email them back quickly, even if you don't have all the answers/information they want right then, show them you're alive and well, and ready & willing to serve them!

4.   Be Attentive - Realtors love to be the center of attention and blab! So it goes against our nature to listen. But we must be disciplined to listen intently and genuinely to our clients, to hear what they're really trying to tell us. Disconnect your ego and your penchant for the limelight, and listen!

5.   Be Valuable - each and every day, you need to evaluate and question what you are doing. What value can I add to what I'm already doing for my clients? How can I better justify the commission I am earning? What else can I do to earn their unwavering endorsement/recommendation?

Disclaimer: I know that I'm far from being the 'Purple Cow' I want to be and desperately need to be, especially in today's challenging market, but I am completely convinced that I have the potential to be so much more than what I've been!

I'll leave you with a few choice quotes from 'The Purple Cow.'

What would happen if you told the truth?

Ask, "Why not?" Almost everything you don't do has no good reason for it. Almost everything you don't do is the result of fear/inertial or a historical lack of someone asking, "Why not?"

Do you have a slogan or positioning statement or remarkable boast that's actually true? Is it consistent? Is it worth passing on?

Do you have the e-mails of the 20% of your customer base that loves what you do? If not, start getting them. If you do, what could you make or do for these customers that would be super-special?

Products/Services that are remarkable get talked about. 

Average is for Losers.

~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~

Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Windermere Real Estate, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SoundBiteBlog, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com