Real Estate Agent Marketing. Little Value: [OPINION]

This Is A Rant. . .

Many of the emails and comments I have received from real estate agents, title reps and consumers alike have said that many of you appreciate my ?no nonsense? style of telling it like it os OR at least how I think it is. Well, here is another one for you?.Enjoy!

Is This You?

I am about to tell you something I have wanted to say for a long time. You don?t know me although you certainly should, I am your ideal client ? the consumer. I may be a homeowner maybe even a home buyer, before this I was a renter. Over the years I have received your marketing messages both at my numerous apartments and now my home. I need to tell you something, you can choose to listen or not ? it?s up to you. I am only one person, although I suspect there are thousands ? perhaps hundreds of thousands just like me. Think of me as a focus group ? that came to you.

Your real estate agent marketing has no value. I mean it. Really. Sales and marketing generally relates to a product. As it relates to real estate that product is a home, condo, town home, commercial building, at least it does to me. This product is something consumers like myself go online looking for. That product is not you.

You don?t appear to know that. I?ve seen your marketing messages, your business cards, post cards, flyers, your for-sale signs with the air brushed picture of you, you know, the one with the white teeth that you don?t really have, the great hair, which you don?t really have and minus the 20 pounds which you kinda do have. Splashed with industry buzz words like ?Top Producer, Multi Million Dollar Producer, Neighborhood Expert, Top 1% of REALTORS locally, nationally, the universe ? erse erse erse? To be honest, I think it has no value. Not because it does not look like you [it doesn't by the way] but because it offers no value for me ? the consumer, you clearly think it is about you. It?s not.

I have visited your real estate agent website, the one you tout in your real estate agent marketing, that resembles the look and message of the printed postcards and door hangers you have sent to me ? the ?pretty? one, the one about you. Ya know, your experience, knowledge, designations, accreditations, the numerous pictures ? of you.

I see you sell more homes than anyone in your office and that you are the top real estate agent in your company ? at least that?s what your real estate agent marketing says. I couldn?t miss it on that wrapped Hummer of yours and your wrapped UHAUL truck ? the one you park at strategic intersections around my area.?I need to tell you, you are turning us off. Us is your ideal client. You see, it?s not about you.

There is a better way.

Imagine, instead of making your marketing all about you and your accomplishments, you ?flipped the script? and made your marketing about your ideal client ? the consumer ? me. Imagine, instead of mailing postcards or printed newsletters ? the ones with the trivia and the airbrushed picture of you and your team [don't even get me started on this one] you created content your ideal client would look for online when we had a need.

Instead of ?I am the best real estate agent in the world ? orld, orld, orld? and other messages about YOU, you could focus on messages that speak to value or the education for your ideal client ? me. Instead of telling me why I should select a CDPE real estate agent, or why I should be sure my real estate agent is a REALTOR ? because they supposedly signed off on behaving ethically and following some code of conduct ? [This is a consumer expectation by the way] you could educate me about what a short sale or foreclosure is and why or why I should or should not pursue one.

Instead of showing me pictures of you and your team at your latest client appreciation event, you could show me pictures or video?s of various subdivisions. Instead of statistics about your ?#1 team in the world orld orld orld?, you could give me stats about my local housing market, jobs, lifestyle and things to do ? should I actually decide to buy or sell. Instead of trying to convince me why it?s a great time to buy or sell a home, give me the stats and let me make up my own mind.

It has never been easier to sell real estate than it is today. Instead of mailing messages to everyone, you can create content [blog posts, video's, pictures, ebooks, pod casts etc] only a certain kind of people ? people with an innediate need ? would look for.

NAR?s own numbers show that 80% of consumers will choose the 1st agent they come across, this tells me that many consumers believe real estate agents are all the same ? at least they appear to be. [you all say "Top Producer, Multi Million Dollar Producer, Neighborhood Expert, Top 1% of REALTORS locally, nationally, the universe - erse erse erse"], ?This point is validated [in my mind] by the 2008 Survey Of California Home Sellers sponsored by C.A.R. [California Association of REALTORS] report that shows commission or [your price] is the #1 consideration for California consumers when choosing a real estate agent to sell their home. The report clearly states, of 6 considerations for choosing a real estate agent, COMMISSION is #1 or FIRST and KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE is #6 or LAST. Knowledge and experience being what the messages I receive from you and agents like you speak to. I find that in the absence of value, when all things appear to look the same ? consumers like myself will choose based upon price. Why pay $50 for a pair of jeans when I can pay $40 for the ?perceived? same exact pair.

There are real estate agents that are doing it right. Adding value and educating consumers like myself. Speaking to the needs of their ideal client instead of their own. They realize that they will naturally be looked at as the expert if they provide the information consumers are looking for online, but the number of agents that get it is very small.

Change your real estate agent marketing. No more sending me your glossy resume on a postcard or flyer.

Thank you,

Stephen Garner ?MyTitleGuy?

Figure out your value proposition, why should a consumer work with you? What makes you different? Stop talking about YOU and start talking about ME. Change Your Real Estate Agent Marketing. I can help.

Source: http://mytitleguy.com/2011/10/real-estate-agent-marketing/

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