Real Estate Success: Setting Yourself Apart from the Competition

According to real estate coach Tom Ferry, all real estate professionals need a “USP” – unique selling proposition. It can’t be any run-of-the-mill selling proposition, stating the obvious that “you should do business with me because I know a lot about real estate.” So does every other agent, broker, owner, realtor, etc. Tom Ferry states that in order to have success in a unique selling proposition, it has to be separated from the rest of the competition.

So, how do you do that? First, you have to focus on your successes. Maybe you sold more homes in the past year than any other realtor in your area. Maybe you specialize in a certain type of property that your client is looking for, such as starter homes or luxury real estate. Maybe your finance skills can save clients much more money than the competition would be able to. Whatever your strengths are, notice them and play off of them.

Secondly, once you know what you are good at, you need to figure out what your clients are interested in – because that, arguably, matters even more. Yes, you may have sold a million dollar home – but will that matter to someone in search of an apartment? Knowing what people are interested in around your area is the key to creating a killer sales pitch.

Ideally, one of your strengths will align with what your client base is looking for. For example, perhaps you have a successful background in finding condominiums or apartments for clients and you’re working in an urban area where many people are in search for that type of real estate. However, this doesn’t always happen – if you find that your immediate skills don’t fit with the needs of your clients, keep searching. Even if you have to develop some new skills (which is never a bad thing!), something will fit together eventually.