Name Your Game
What We Can Learn From Townhouse Specialist Patrick Lilly
By Six Figure Real Estate Coach Roberta Ross
Don’t you just love learning from people who have willingness and transparency to share what they are doing with their colleagues in this industry? I know I sure do. One gentlemen who I had the privilege of interviewing is an extraordinary New York City agent -- Patrick Lilly. Patrick learned long ago that you can’t be all things to all people, and even TRYING to do that was not only exhausting, but ineffective. So he decided to specialize and, as a result, his production, reputation, and profitability soared.
Listen to and learn the strategies that he used to build his reputation as the Townhouse Specialist in his area, and why one of the things he’s most proud of is the HOPE he can give to customers.
Powerful stuff, isn’t it? Building a niche is one of the best things you can do for your business. So why don’t more agents do it?
If you ask a new agent what kind of business they want, most will tell you they want ANY kind of business. What’s surprising is that many experienced or “seasoned” agents will tell you the same thing. They are so eager to get all the business they can that they don’t want to turn any business away and will take anything they can get.
Sadly, what often happens when you do not select an identity for yourself is that one gets selected for you. I can’t tell you how many agents I’ve seen fall into this trap. For example, many agents find themselves specializing in first-time homebuyers when it’s not even the demographic they wanted. What happens when you take business you don’t ultimately want? You attract more of the same and that can leave you frustrated and unfulfilled.
So how do you get off the treadmill and onto something that has impact? You identify your ideal client, establish a niche, and create an identity for yourself that syncs with your ideal client. Your niche should have two basic fundamentals. First, pick an area of real estate that is viable, meaning that there is an ample supply of properties or prospects in your area. For example, if you live in land-locked Columbus, Ohio -- you would not want to choose waterfront properties as your specialty or you would soon be out of business. Second, your niche should be one that aligns you with and what you want. From there, set about being the BEST agent for the needs of that particular prospect. Then, be sure to establish the connection and keep in contact. You’ll be surprised how much easier life and success becomes when you do!
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave them below – and happy listing this season.
Confused About Clarity?
Try a New Perspective!
By Six Figure Real Estate Coach Roberta Ross
Branding. It’s a buzzword that seems to be everywhere we turn these days. And it’s no doubt an important part of your business. But branding by ITSELF is not really effective. One of the biggest errors agents make is they rush to develop branding that feeds their EGO but not their business. Here’s what I mean. Ever see those branding packages that are high gloss, have the agent’s picture larger than life, and the copy is all about how WONDERFUL the agent is, right down almost to their grade school award for perfect attendance? (All right, that last part is an exaggeration – but you get the picture.)
While that looks great, and it makes an agent feel pumped up and excited about their cool new marketing materials – what it DOESN’T do is tune into the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) channel that today’s sellers and buyers are tapped into. Frankly – they don’t care if you had perfect attendance – or much else about YOU other than what you can do for THEM. In order to do that, you need to know what’s IMPORTANT to THEM. Or as I like to call it, you need CLARITY.
Before you dive headlong into the fall market for even a minute more, take some time to really think about WHO you want to work with. Are they move-up marketing candidates? Are they seniors? Are they golfers? Boaters? Horse breeders? Harley owners? A hybrid of a few? Get CLEAR on who your I.C., or your Ideal Client is.
Next…What are their hot buttons? Where can you find them? How can you position yourself as THEIR expert? What do they want from a real estate professional? Why are you a good fit for them? Ask yourself these questions and get the answers crystal clear in your mind. THEN wrap your branding and marketing around those things and you’ll discover that you’ll find their hands raise a whole lot faster – and you’ll be a whole lot happier. Why? Because you’ll be working with the people you WANT to work with – and that just makes life exponentially better, don’t you think?
Here’s to clarity! And here’s to you! Watch this quick clip for more on why clarity is a key to your success…
http://youtu.be/fPiQTGyDvTQ?list=UUMlnMjZZS5_Adj2ptmZTu8A
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave them below – and happy listing this season!
