I’ve been working with real estate agents to help them market themselves online. In many ways, online profiles are like first interviews. They are the first place that customers (or employers) go to learn about you – often before they’ve met you. And, like many real world first interviews, they can often be rambling and disorganized.
I’ve noticed 3 habits or patterns in how real estate agents market themselves (that are often true of other professionals):
- Volume of sales becomes the yardstick of both success and competence
- Most agents view their current (or previous) listings as their “product” to market, not themselves
- It’s very easy to position themselves as everything to everyone – listing, selling, high-end, mid-range, low-end, etc
The collision of these explains why most online profiles of real estate agents aren’t very empathetic to their customers. In other words, most agent profiles talk about how much property they’ve sold and what property they’re selling or have sold recently.
What’s the alternative?
Agents can view themselves as a product to market. What does this mean?
- Products have defined customers – usually with commonalities (i.e. specific segments)
- Marketing products starts with understanding the customer – an empathetic view of what matters to them
- One product isn’t ideal for all customers
- There are lots of great materials, techniques and resources available to market products
What are the end results?
- Agents focus on specific segments of customers – i.e. not “everything to everyone”
- For example, I focus on listings of homes between 300-400k in these specific neighborhoods
- Agents build and tell their story in an empathetic way to these customers
- Agents find the best, specific ways to reach their target segments
Check out my services for real estate agents and other professionals at: www.greatfirstinterview.com. I apply the disciplines of product management and product marketing to the product of you.