With the New Year now in its third day, some real estate agents may be reviewing their 2025 wins, losses and missed opportunities . Much of this focus may be on real estate marketing. Any given day agents get texts about sales leads, firms that will post social media content to possibly even reading some marketing guru book or blog posting.
Yet, when asked this question “What is the goal of marketing?”, some may stubble responding or answer with attracting attention, making a friend, etc. However, if we accept the premise people buy from people they know and trust, should not the goal of marketing be to build trust?
The origin of the word is believed to be Scandinavian. (Source: Webster’s Seventh New College Dictionary). Here the first definition is “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth or someone or something.” Fast forward to online Oxford Dictionary with a very similar definition shared added this “relations have to be built on trust.”
Zig Ziglar said “Sales is the transference of feelings.” Given my experience, I believe that is true. From liking a particular article of clothing to feeling comfortable for a salesperson or what I prefer thinking a “facilitator of feelings,” trust often comes up as trust is a feeling.
Trust is not tangible in the given sense of the word. I trust the look and feel of an article of clothing or the facilitator or his/her message makes me comfortable without any pressure.
One of my consistent beliefs is “I buy from people I know and trust.” All the unsolicited texts and emails are responded to with this statement or are simply ignored.
If I don’t know you, how can I trust you?
For me, now with a real estate practice based on over 90% referrals, I know I have established trust with my clients and those who make referrals. The other 10% comes from my real estate signage. When potential clients call me, my goal is not to hurry up the call, but to build trust. Building trust often involves both education and emotional intelligence or what I think of as EDEI.
Then there is always this one word PATIENCE. How often do we hear far too much information that often is rather personal?
Possibly the questions to ask are:
- Does my marketing build trust?
- Does my marketing build the opportunity for trust?
- How does my marketing connect with the feelings of potential clients?
When people see the signage of my truck “I love selling dirt,” I often receive a chuckle or a smile. These 4 words create a feeling and that was the goal.
Sometimes I am even engaged in a short conversation. One of the most frequent questions I receive is “Do you sell houses?” My answer with a smile is “Yes as houses are on dirt.” Again another smile or even a hearty laugh is given. And sometimes I am asked for a business card.
“Earn trust, earn trust, earn trust. Then you can worry about the rest.”
Seth Godin
P.S. Please consider checking out my Facebook business page, The Grit and Gratitude Agent that will focus on the Dirt Roads in Mohave County as well local real estate, lots of dirt or vacant land parcels as some of the local attractions.
#LetsGetBackToRealConversations #WeDoThingsDifferently #TrustBuilding #GoldenValleyAZHomesAndLand #KingmanHomesAndLand
Leanne M Smith, The Grit and Gratitude Agent Who Goes the Extra Mile Because Life Begins Where the Pavement Ends.
Feature Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com
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