Real estate is all about attention. Real estate agents who earn the attention from buyers and sellers will, generally, earn more business.
From banners flying behind airplanes to paying top-billed celebrities to give an endorsement, there is nothing that is off-limits when it comes to gaining attention. These big ticket methods to get noticed are great, but then what?
Once you have the listing appointment and the smoke has cleared from the latest marketing campaign, how do you make yourself stand out even further? What will be the difference between you and your competition?
There are three simple, and often forgotten, details that separate a memorable listing presentation from the others.
Submit your resume
The listing presentation is a job interview. Put your ego aside, and treat it as such. Handing the potential client a printed copy of your updated resume is one way to leave another piece of your brand with them.
If you are going to leave something in their hands, you need to make sure it is really good. Key points of a memorable real estate resume are:
- Include your picture and some images to convey the information. Logos, icons or graphs are great ways to make it look like a presentation. Make a great impression on paper.
- Be honest. The point of the listing presentation is to gain trust. It would be counterproductive to include exaggerations or discrepancies from the truth.
- Include your results first when listing your responsibilities. Sales volume, community accolades, achievements, etc. Convey a strong sense of achievement and business acumen.
Be charming
Yes, charm can be learned. The biggest mistake agents make when they try to be charming is that they deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. This, almost always, is detected as being fake, script-driven or too
sales-y.
Key components of bringing your charm to the forefront are:
- Be authentic. Stay true to how you speak, act and move. Keep in mind that you can be professional, ethical and firm in your decisions while maintaining your authenticity.
- Make it more about other people than yourself. This is not about all the things that you are going to do to get the home sold. It is all about what the potential client needs the end result to be. Focus on their goals as opposed to your abilities.
- Be sincere. Care about the conversations. Ask questions that will build trust because you really care about what the seller needs in a real estate agent.
Take notes
If there is one attribute that real estate agents need more than any other it is attention to detail.
If you go into the presentation believing that you will earn the client, which you should, you will need to remember the details of the conversation if you want to maintain your level of professionalism. The best way to do that is to take notes.
The etiquette around note taking in today’s world is a gray area. The keys to making note taking a tool in your listing presentation are to:
- Ask permission to take notes. Again, make this more about them than you. By asking permission, you interrupt the patterns that they see in every other agent.
- Use a yellow legal pad and pen. The professional and social perception of typing into your phone is varied. Even with a disclaimer or explanation, typing feverishly into your phone may not be a strong, trust-building image.
- Engage while taking notes. Show the potential client what you are writing. Discuss the points for clarity. Show them the numbers you jotted down for price. Create transparency and validity.
The battle for attention is not always won by who is the loudest or most frequent marketer. It can be about the agent who does things a little differently. The agent who interrupts the status quo with thoughtful and professional habits.
Treating the listing presentation in a slightly different manner can help you stand out among your competition without spending a dime.
We are all looking for the next shiny object to make us seem a little better than our competition, but in the meantime, we can always spend more time actually being a little better than our competitors.
Kevin Hoover is a Realtor with eXp Realty – Myrtle Beach. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
