These days, it's challenging for business owners to stand out from a sea of competitors in their niche or industry. Everyone can start a business online, but the saturating markets make it difficult for others to stake their claim in the profit pie.
It's the same for real estate agents. They not only have to deal with the market changes brought on by a raging pandemic, but there's also growing online competition from listing portals and evolving challenges and trends to look out for.
So, how do you set yourself apart as a real estate agent?
If you still often wonder, "what makes me unique as a realtor?" here are a few strategies you can implement to stand out from your competition.
Enhance The Client Experience
The success of any business depends on how well they treat their clients. If you want your clients to become loyal customers, you need to up your user experience game.
So anyone who is wondering how can a realtor stand out in a market full of competition, enhancing the client experience is one of the most effective ways to approach it and become a favorite with the audience.
It is essential to treat your clients with high regard since it is a people's business. So make sure to work with your client's interest and agreement if you want to land a perfect deal that is favorable to them as well.
Next, take a walk through your processes and systems to see if they are capable of delivering an exceptional client experience. This should help you discover avenues for improvement and find ways to make interactions more personable and memorable.
Be Professional When Approaching Prospects
Maintaining professionalism in your client interactions is really important. This creates a lasting impression on them about you and your business, compelling them to work with you whenever they need to.
Also, this involves making sure that you keep your promises and commitments because that builds your clients' trust in you. Another critical aspect of a successful real estate business is following the schedules and timelines you provide to your clients.
Besides this, a professional realtor must also empathize with their client's worries, prepare talking points before setting up a meeting, have positive body language, and be relatable and engaging.
Find Your Speciality & Excel At It
Being a realtor in a small town is quite different from being a realtor in a large city in terms of what you get to sell.
Working as a small-town realtor means you will sell a little bit of everything, so you don't necessarily need to define your niche. However, if you're a realtor in a large city, you have to specialize in a specific niche because there is a lot to cover in general. So define your specialty area in terms of neighborhood and the type of homes you sell.
While this may seem like limiting the scope of your work, it poses you as an expert and makes a powerful statement. Because of this powerful statement, you might even get calls for work outside of your niche. The reason is that people see you as a professional.
Also, develop a tagline that depicts your niche so your clients can instantly know why they should contact you.
Build A Formidable Online Presence
What gives real estate agents the most visibility?
As a realtor today, you need to maintain your online presence because most of your clients will turn towards the internet to look for a service they need.
To start setting up your online presence, you need to develop your own website and market yourself as a brand. First, you must upload all relevant information that your clients may require or need to know about your business. Other things to include as a realtor are listing the houses, your contact information, testimonials of past clients, resources you offer, etc.
For instance, you can differentiate your website from competitors by embedding virtual tours using a virtual tour software such as RICOH360 Tours. Various tools can expedite your real estate agency's digitization process, helping you stand out from your competition.
In addition to building a website, you also need to maintain an online presence on all your social media platforms because social networking offers exceptional value to prospects. For example, you can inform people about daily updates and new listings and provide those who follow you through social media.
Use social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to reach potential clients. Moreover, make sure that you are available to respond to their inquiries on these platforms.
With the rising competition, it has become more challenging to stand out among your competitors. But with the help of innovation and technology, real estate agents today can get the attention and favor of their clients in no time.
Get On Google My Business
No matter what people search about in the digital age, they turn to Google. So, you must make yourself available and highlight your presence there. For example, when people run a search query on Google "real estate agents near me," and you're registered with Google My Business, your name will pop up, bringing many opportunities to the table.
All you have to do is claim your business listing on Google My Business and verify your address. Then, they mail you a validation card to get registered. Once you're on "Google Local Business," you can upload some photos relevant to your business to portray a happening image. According to Google, companies with photos get 35% more clicks than the ones listed without photos.
Moreover, ensure that you do Map Engine Optimization so that people can find you on Google Maps. Then, when they are directed to Google Maps through the search query, they will also find reviews there. Positive five-star reviews get you to rank higher on Google, helping you reach out to more potential customers. So, encourage your current and former clients to post a review.
Invest In Branding
An effective way to stand out among other realtors is by branding your business to get attention and build prestige for your services. Entice more clients to work with you by making your brand look more appealing than the others — upload quality content on your website and social media. Whether posting photos or videos, they should add value to your brand. Post them with compelling and grammatically correct text.
Select a particular style and template for your marketing collateral. This will add value to your branding. Then, hire an expert and skilled designer who can design your posts, flyers, or website appearance. This investment will help you get more ROI than you think.
Build Your Network And Connections
A realtor needs to have the ability to network and make a connection. So everywhere you go, whether in your neighborhood or meeting with friends, mention your work whenever you can in a conversation.
Talk about your industry without any hesitation. Be open and willingly answer any related questions. So, whenever those people need a realtor, they will be more than glad to hire you. This is why you must maintain a positive reputation among your clients.
Sponsor Local Events
One way of getting noticed is sponsoring a youth sports team. When people see your name on the shirts of that team, they will consider you as a big shot. This will eventually build the trust of your potential customers in you.
You could also sponsor local galas, marathons, cook-offs and offer giveaways. Again, doing this will help you leave an imprint on the minds of the visitors of that event.
Summary
The real estate market is rapidly growing, and people are interested in either buying or investing in property. That being said, as the industry improves, so do the realtors. People are looking for a realtor they can trust, and when there are so many options out there, you need to stand out. Building a connection with your client and promoting awareness of your services on all platforms allow you to capture the audience you need to grow your business.
Especially, sharing high-quality virtual tours on your website or social media helps you raise the audience’s attention. With RICOH360 Tours, you can create efficient and cost-effective virtual tours that help you build your own brand.
From a realtor's standpoint, effective virtual tours require excellent planning, experience, and skill – all the elements that RICOH360 Tours incorporates.
Get started now
