In real estate—and in any career, for that matter—it’s easy to step in line and follow a comfortable routine; however, innovation is key to making a name for yourself in an industry flooded with other agents striving toward the same goal.
Therefore, stepping outside of your comfort zone is a must if you want to stand apart from the crowd to market yourself and attract attention. How can you keep yourself from being boxed in when it comes to your marketing strategy? Take it one step at a time, starting this weekend, and always keep the ideas fresh and inspired.
Step 1
Take inventory of what’s out there. Do some research to find out what marketing strategies are currently in play. Of these, which are losing their steam and proving inefficient, and which are bordering the disruptor line and making a splash? You’re going to want to be part of the latter, using those strategies to create your own plans customized to your personality and your business model.
Step 2
Take a look at what you already have in place. Remember, some marketing tools, while old school, can still be influential if they’re adaptable to today’s consumer-centric expectations. For example, while mailers and door-knocking may not seem up to today’s technological standards, they can be very personable ways of connecting with the consumer, which can be difficult when most buyers and sellers are initially hidden behind screens as they begin their real estate search. How can you elevate the door-knocking and mailing experience? Think of ways to add a twist of the unexpected to an already-established routine.
Step 3
Be brave. You might think playing it safe is the way to go, but it can, in fact, lead you to challenges if you start to blend in, instead of standing out in the spotlight. Be bold in your marketing—you want to capture eyeballs which will convert to leads, and then business.
Step 4
Once you’ve got your innovative ideas planned out, share them with others and get some feedback. Create a focus group of industry colleagues, friends and family who you know will be honest with you. Ask them if they’re impressed, if they find your value proposition worthy and if they’ve ever seen your idea implemented in the industry before. The key is finding ways to perform your role getting your buyers and sellers through their real estate transactions as smoothly as possible, while also emphasizing the client experience and making yourself the household name for anything real estate-related.
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com. For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
