Why Can't You Get Listings?
87% of realtors fail in their careers. Real estate is a fiercely competitive industry. As a new agent you are pitted against multimillionaires, networking prodigies, and the will of the market. Real estate requires you to be at your best at every single step of the way. I live in Alabama, and there are 4000 realtors here and counting. That is a huge level of competition. Most people just blend together. Everyone has the stereotypical picture of a realtor wearing a suit and grinning. I am here to help you break out of that stereotype and succeed.
You Can't Get Listings Because You Aren't Special
I'm a real estate photographer. In my industry you have to have a unique style, website, personality, clothing, and more to even be recognized as different. When I ask people why they choose me over other real estate photographers they mention that I have a better website, provide more services like aerial photo and video, 360° tours etc.
We all see ourselves as unique because we all are. We see the nuances that make us who we are. When I first started out I was so frustrated that nobody could see the difference in what I provided and how I was good for them. The thing I needed to realize is that it is my job, not theirs, to make sure they see me the way I want them to. That meant doing things in an unconventional fashion.
How Can I Be Unique?
Well, for one thing, don't keep reading blogs, listening to podcasts and watching Mike Ferry. If you think and act exactly the same way as your competitors, but they have more experience, a better reputation, and more connections, then you will lose that battle every time you have it. What are things you know you need to work on? Do barely anybody show up to your open houses? Make them more personal. Spend more money on lower quantity, better quality food, get to know them, and stop being an uber salesperson. Is the market on fire and you know a crowd is going to be at your open house? Do something crazy. Book a food truck, hold a raffle, make fresh pancakes for everyone in front of them. Utilize the space in a way that gives off the feeling of a party and not a quick walkthrough. Do things that show your personality off while also being unique. I can go on and on. I can't tell you the perfect solution, but you are going to have to take risks and do things that seem odd in order to stand out.
What Are Some Things I Can Do Now?
Okay, while I can't give you the perfect solution, I can give you some good ideas to boost your brand and stabilize your business.
Invest in better vendors
The first thing you can do to make it seem like you are high quality is to hire people that are high quality.
Photographers and media specialist in general should be high quality. When you show a seller what you can make their listing look like, they will automatically associate you with high quality service.
Stagers help out a whole lot when selling a listing. They can be pricey, and for that reason it makes you seem more committed. If you have a quality stager then you can really change the whole way that a property is perceived.
Social media and brand awareness is hard to do yourself. You can hire people to do it for you but be honest with yourself and hold the content to a high standard. Things like your logo, website, and posts are going to be indicators of how much you care about your work.
Pick a niche and go all in. New home construction, luxury, investment properties, etc. Learn as much as you can about these industries and make connections. You want to have focus in your business. I shoot everything, but my style of photography lends itself to naturally lit spaces so that it really stands out. My twilight photography has some light painting which makes me stand
out since very few people do that here.
If you want to take your real estate marketing to the next level, check out my services and portfolio, and contact me to shoot your listings.
Thanks for reading!
For more tips and articles, you can check back here.