So tell me this --listing agents. Are we in sales or marketing of homes -- tell me what it is that would make one a sales professional as opposed to a marketing pro?
To me in my very long life so far.... a sales pro is one that represents a product that has features and benefits associated with it. A car, a bicycle, a software program, etc.
But in those types of sales jobs the idea of selling ONE product is what happens...the idea of oh, say....If my prospect says to me and actually convinces me that the product I am attempting to sell to them is not "their cup of tea"----would I have the ability to sell them the OTHER product that I don't represent? Of course not....mostly not I should say.
Real Estate has a unique ability to sell ANYTHING or any house that exists soooooooo maybe we should be called Real Estate Concierges? or rather Real Estate Show-ers? or perhaps Real Estate leeches.
Interestingly many sellers out there believe that agents are leeches and just climb on board and make 6% for nothing. This attitude is hardly news to many in this biz but I offer a different approach that perhaps may be of comfort.
We are Real Estate Marketers and legal representatives for the seller OR buyer. Once the idea that the dreaded "SALES" word is associated with our name we generally knock off 40-50% of our potential clients because of the SALES WORD prejudice. Of course they won't tell you that but believe me--- a lot think it.
So until someone makes a hammer that we can hit someone over the head to actually make them be honest about their "feeeeeeeeelings" about certain words....let's do something different.
How about branding yourself as THE marketing genius, THE Marketing guru, THE marketing king with a CYA degree. CYA meaning for the client.
OUTSTANDING you say? Well kinda. This is actually what the best agents in the business are already doing and have been for years. The only difference now is where they put up their "storefront" to show off their abilities. Being ensconced in a huge or even small office with a brokers name on it doesn't make one an agent that excels per-say.
An enormous work ethic is number 1 and a smart and relentless marketing campaign that shows your value is number 2 and knowing the industry inside and out is number 3. All of these things will launch you quickly into a position of power and earnestness that people with see and then trust you with all of their needs when it comes to ANY real estate transaction.
The people that "play in" this business are the ones that have created the bad ideas and prejudices towards us. And since we as true professionals have effectively "let" it happen without countering the prejudice over the years, these little untoward definitions as I mentioned above have taken hold.
ERGO...the only way to make a difference in anything is to straighten up our own houses and do it right MAKE the definitions ourselves instead of letting others do it for us. When people see us doing it right they will emulate it and so on and so on.
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