"Do you ever feel like a misfit? Do you ever feel like an outcast? You don't have to fit into the format. It's O.K to be different, cause baby, so am I."
Lyrics, of course, from the current hit single, So Am I, by Eva Max.
Lyrics, for me, that resonate.
I've never been one to fit in.
Described in previous roles as a maverick, I never set out to be different.
It just turned out that way.
Creating my version of the world, rather than living other people's vision for me.
Looking back, version 1.0 might be described as a bit of a mess.
I'm sure I was found under a gooseberry bush, since I was not remotely like either parent.
I couldn't wait to leave home.
I tried professional golf, first. For many years.
Only to find out that I was too lazy to achieve the heights that my talent suggested I might.
From there into the corporate world of golf. Selling steel golf shafts, around the globe, to the likes of Mizuno, Calloway and Ping.
I found that easy because I wasn't a great salesperson. I succeeded, every time, based on relationships. Whilst the world #1 competitor relied on brand and 'selling'.
But for one who will do what is asked of him, just so long as I'm not told how to do it, it was always a temporary assignment.
It's never a wise move to tell some M.D's that they are wrong. But a decade of interesting experiences was the payoff.
A few unsuccessful dabbles, here and there, then found me on the fringes of estate agency.
I haven't quite yet worked out why I love this sector so much.
It's not the thrill of selling homes. I don't.
It's not the camaraderie, either. I'm as far removed from being a 'team player' as it's possible to be.
It might have something to do with the potential that every estate agent has.
I found that intrigue when I was teaching golf. Discovering a rare moment when someone with potential and ambition. Someone that wasn't quite ready. Showed up.
Same with estate agents. Like any industry, the range of existential awareness ranges from visionary to clueless.
Some are very happy being small cogs in a big machine. Content to stay that way. Our paths will probably never cross.
Others, driven to succeed , but without the ability to achieve it on the path they have chosen. The 'journeyman' estate agent that is always looking for the next 'shiny object in order to transition up a level.
And then one or two, who stand out like a sore thumb.
Not because of their competence.
But, for their character.
I can read between the lines.
I know they are different. And not afraid to show it.
I don't much care that they work in estate agency for a living.
I care for them as individuals. I'm intrigued by their personality and how that is expressed.
My guess is that vendors/landlords think the same way.
They know you're an estate agent. They know you are a local property expert. They know you have a desk full of awards.
But could you be more boring?
Which is why they often fail to instruct your firm.
They've decided, perhaps unconsciously, that you're not a good fit.
That you don't share their values and beliefs. That they like another agent more.
The choice is stark.
Do you want to fit in? To compete with every other agent?
Most do.
And that's O.K.
Or do you want to stand out?
So you don't have to compete.
To have vendors choose you because of who you are. Not for what you do.
If you're thinking that standing out is worth a small bet, try amplifying your personal brand.
Share a few of your values.
I'll share mine:
Integrity. It wasn't always so, but it is now. Very much so.
Congruency. Something I strive for. In behaviour , thought and expression.
Unambiguous. Don't be subtle. I can handle it.
Kindness. You don't need a reason to help someone.
Curiosity. An enquiring mind might ask....
When you have that, then, an origin story. As long or as short as you wish.
Share it with others. Have pride in being, not just an estate agent, but in who you are.
Your personal brand will differentiate like nothing else.
If I can help, my advice is always free. Just pick up the phone: 07369251435
Or, drop me an email:
Thanks for reading, as always.
Chris.
The post It’s O.K To Be Different ‘Cause Baby So Am I. first appeared on And so the story began.