It's always been you, my friend.
Let's talk about you for a change.
We've already heard that your estate agency is the best.
Full to the rafters with over-achievers.
Seen the posts on LinkedIn, proudly showing off the bottle of bubbly from an ever-so-appreciated vendor.
The ubiquitous perspex 'award' for Regional Agency of the Year 2018.
And the 'team' photo at said awards.
Might I just enquire, though, the purpose behind such posts?
Are they to impress vendors?
To intimidate competitors and make them feel worse, than they're already feeling, at coming second?
Or, to reassure oneself? You're so damn proud of what you've achieved that you can't help it.
But, isn't that what you're supposed to do? Isn't that what you're paid for?
You can be an agent that relishes such plaudits. Basking in the warm glow of self-satisfaction.
Or you can be the agent that puts something meaningful back into the world of estate agency.
Better is always temporary. There will, eventually, be someone that does what you do. And achieves a consistently better result.
But different?
That's the real goal.
Remaining firmly in your own lane and making sure that other agencies don't ever get to share that lane with you.
There's plenty of industry narrative to suggest that vendors don't care about you, or your agency.
If all that you post on social media and other platforms is a summary of your competence, then that might be true.
We've all heard the bragging. The promises.
But before any of that, vendors really do want to know about your agency. And specifically, they want to know about you.
Is there some affinity? Do we share common beliefs?
Once that is established and there is a connection, then it's a matter of exploring those areas of mutual interest.
Over a period of time.
Talking about things. Other than your agency. Other than your competence.
Building an audience that is interested in you.
Because you have something interesting to share.
The local property market?
Anybody can cut & paste that information.
It doesn't differentiate. The market is what it is.
Being seen as the 'local property expert' doesn't have the gravitas that many agencies imagine.
It's often because so much of the competition can't be bothered to share those reports, that it has some credibility.
But if your competitors are sharing these reports, what then?
What then?
Then, it needs to be more rooted in an emotional connection.
A Harvard Business Review found that emotional engagement matters more than customer satisfaction and, drives brand loyalty.
Since nobody buys anything from someone they don't like, for estate agents, that's a scary place to start.
"Oh, my God. They may not like me. Let's not go there !!"
But actually that's a great place to start.
Crafting messages to deter those that are looking for the cheapest agency. Those that aren't committed to selling.
Those that can't be bothered to present their home in the best possible light.
Those vendors that don't see the world as you do.
Instead of wasting time trying to persuade those homeowners to your way of thinking, shun them.
They're not for you.
Revisionist thinking?
'Fraid so.
Estate agency has always tried to be all things to all people. It doesn't work in this day & age.
Consumers have more information at their fingertips than ever before.
They can take their time weighing up the evidence.
They don't like being 'sold' and especially they don't like being 'closed'.
And whilst we're on that thread, they don't like being interrupted by cold calls & door-knocks.
No matter how much 'value' you believe is added by doing just that.
Consumers, for all that salespeople would intimate otherwise, are more sophisticated.
They seek out that emotional connection.
Whenever it's on display.
They're looking for someone - perhaps a lot like you.
Let me lay this out for you:
You have to be more transparent. More vulnerable. More receptive.
Vendors aren't going to 'dig deep' to uncover whether you are a good fit.
They won't give you the benefit of the doubt because your listing presentation was so incredible.
They will quickly reject you.
They didn't like you enough.
We all make snap decisions. Emotional decisions.
Decisions based on the tone of voice, disposition and demeanour.
Before the speaker even really got into their stride.
Jeb Blount, Tom Ferry, Vince Cable, Nicola Sturgeon, Tom Panos, Hilary Clinton, Jordan Belfort, Grant Cardone.
They all lost me on 'Hello'.
I will politely listen , of course, but it's always going to be a NO.
Even when I agree with what they say.
Every sales technique, every probing question, every related story, even.
Each and every one of them, I find insincere.
That's just me. Most probably not you, or the majority.
Each and every one of them very successful in their own field.
But I'm not looking for successful. Not at the start.
I'm looking for someone who shares my values & beliefs.
So I discard those that lack affinity.
I'm looking, as Harvard Business Review suggests, for emotional engagement.
What your agency stands for, how it perceives itself to be different and why it does what it does are all important aspects of the relationship.
But, it's not enough.
I can get all of that from an online agency.
Emotional engagement requires that an agency makes me 'feel' something.
It's sadly lacking, unfortunately, in the vast majority of U.K estate agents.
Who are lured down the path of competition with each other, rather than connection with a vendor.
It's always been you. Rather than your agency.
It's always been you. Rather than your success.
"Vendors don't care about you, or your agency", says my good friend, Christopher Watkin.
Make them care is my response.
Make them care about you, rather than your agency.
Build that audience and become respected in your local community for who you are.
Not for what you are.
Just another estate agent.
Talking about their agency.
Instead of talking about you, for a change.
If I can help, just get in touch. My advice is always free.
If it's not for you and it won't be for many agents, thanks for reading this far.
Chris.
The post It’s Always Been You, My Friend. first appeared on And so the story began.