Differentiation Makes You Special

You would be hard-pressed to find a real estate professional today who doesn't value the business they gain from their website or blog. The average consumer and homebuyer or seller is using the Internet for their research and property searches. Sure, they may hear your radio spot or read your newspaper or homes magazine ad. That's great, but the vast majority will immediately go to your website to check you out.

At the point they become aware of you as a local real estate professional, you're just one of the crowd. So even if they like your ad, you're still just one of many with a cool advertisement. What makes you special? If you get tired of being treated as less than a valued professional, you need to look at how you go to market.

At what point do you stand out from the rest? Is it when they see on your site that you're a "top producer?" If you're not, do you lie and say you are? The bigger question is "do they care?" Sorry, but how many deals you do each year is of little interest to most of your prospects. They only care about THEIR deal. At some point they need to make a decision about who they are going to use as a real estate professional. Will it be you?

Start paying attention to comments like "I called you because..." Those comments will tell you what is most important to your prospects. It's doubtful that you'll hear "I called you because of your cute ad." They may mention it, but they checked you out on your website and something else differentiated you from the real estate crowd to prompt that call.