Experience has shown that healthy competition brings out the best in people. To stand out, rather than be a generalist, you must aspire to carve a niche for yourself. Every agent wants to get a substantial fair share of the market and to do this, certain factors have to come to play.
- Get yourself befitting business cards, designed by a great designer & printed on high-quality materials. This sort of card commands respect and forms a positive impression about you in the mind of the receiver.
- A good website and domain name: In this 21st-century business world, visibility and accessibility are crucial to your brand as a realtor. And your website is at the centre of this. But before you set out crafting an effective website which would be loved by Google & users alike, the first thing you need to do is get a domain name which reflects your brand. So, say your agency is called Blue Ocean Real Estate located in Lekki, rather than go with something like bestrealestateagenyinlekki.com, why not go with blueoceanrealty.com?
- Invest in yourself: A smart agent must look smart at all times and be knowledgeable about the business of marketing and selling of properties. He should have a good command of English and be very familiar with the environment. He should also possess an up-to-date market analysis of real estate trends and dynamics.
- Have a lead magnet on your website: No matter how attractive your website is, it may not be of any help when prospects visit without contacting you. In such circumstances, you lose potential clients. To avoid this, it is advisable to create a lead magnet on your site. A lead magnet is a piece of information or content, attractive to your target audience, which you give out in exchange for their email addresses.
- Find your niche market: There is a common saying that ‘a jack of all trade is a master of none’. Yes, a good professional agent should have a speciality. You don’t have to do it all. You may be good as a commercial agency, or for the first time home buyers or you may specialize in a particular neighbourhood or location. Whatever it is, decide and give it your best.
- Availability and accessibility: A good agent that aspires to stand out must be available at all times. To do this effectively, endeavour to at least get a smartphone with internet subscription running 24/7.
- Make an extra effort: For an agent to be getting referral he must go the extra mile to achieving certain things. Referral is a vital aspect of estate agency. For instance, virtually all our prospects at Luxury Villas Group come from referral. This only happens when clients are impressed with your work. Make a habit of reaching out to every client that does business with you. Gifts are always welcome, and it keeps you in their hearts always.
- Adopt a marketing style that makes a good impression: The impression you make when you meet people in the course of your work goes a long way in selling yourself and your business. Your business card, clothes, car, all contribute to the kind of impression you create. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to spend a fortune buying the latest Mercedes Benz, all you need to do is ensure the one you have is clean and neat. This also goes for your ads. When advertising in a print medium, avoid clustered and disjointed prints that make your listings unattractive and readable. Instead, it is advisable to take a space you can afford and match your listings with images.
- Accessible and decent Office: I deliberately chose this as the last step in this topic of “How to Stand Out as a Real Estate Agent”. It is deliberate because not every agent has the initial resources to get an office when starting out. However, a good and functional office is key to your success. In most climes, an estate agent worth his salt sites his office in posh streets directly on the road and visible to passing eyes. Such offices are well laid out and very clean. The office must be manned with the right professionals, from customer services to professional consultants, who must all be resourceful. Another good feature of such office is a well-displayed image of your listings and their details (This is very, very uncommon here in our country).