How to get more LOVE than your rivals down the road
BLAND IS BANNED
I’ve been doing a lot of work recently adding some personality to agents’ websites, in particular the About us sections.
It’s pretty simple when you know how.
Don’t be bland, don’t be too serious and use a tone of voice / way of writing that doesn’t sound anything like a stereotypical estate agent.
Be real. Be human. Be different.
This all reminded me of an article I wrote for The Negotiator magazine earlier this year about the subject.
Here it is below. Well worth a read if your agency’s website has about as much personality as an empty bag of Quavers lying in a puddle.
Why the words you use (or don’t) could be losing your estate agency thousands of pounds.
I met my partner online. Match.Com to be precise.
It worked for us. Five years, three homes and one lovely little daughter later we’re still a good match (well most of the time).
I like to think she clicked on my profile because back then my pictures sold a leaner, less grey and dazzlingly dashing figure.
Unfortunately for my ego it wasn’t the photos that really caught her eye; she told me it was the brief biography I wrote.
I can’t remember what I said but it would have been along the lines of ‘unpretentious failed footballer seeks someone with a lot of patience and a sense of the ridiculous.’
She loves me
My partner told me the bio stood out and the write up made her laugh and warm to me. There are indeed a lot of bland bios out there and not just on dating sites.
Great. ‘Well done mate,’ I hear you say while thinking what the hell does this have to do with getting my estate agency more business?
Stay with me reader. You see if I’d have played a straight, boring bat and spoke about being ‘interested in extreme sports, reading classic novels, walking and socialising’ she wouldn’t have sent a wink (and I’d have been lying through my teeth).
The romantic chain of events wouldn’t have been set into motion and our lives would be totally different now.
This is why I suggest a motto of ‘Bland is Banned’ when it comes to estate agents writing about themselves or getting someone to do it for them.
‘What a load of old shite’
I see a lot of Meet the Teams or About Us sections on estate agency websites. Some are really, really good. Funny, interesting and revealing.
A lot of are really, really bland and chock full of clichés and meaningless jargon such as ‘I’m a visionary with a customer centric approach to estate agency and a strategic approach to selling property.’
The reader reads that and often thinks ‘what a load of old shite.’ Or words to that effect.
If the old saying ‘people buy people’ is true that sort of biography is getting you left on the shelf. Leave those sorts of lines for contestants on The Apprentice.
The Worst Type
The worst kind of About Us section on a website is the ones that mention no names but pour out tired statements such as ‘we are a vibrant, dynamic and passionate agency.’ Spare the reader please. That stuff is lamer than the horses I always seem to back when I go to the races.
In my opinion the best examples of these vitally important sections are ones that tell stories and paint pictures in the reader’s mind.
Q & A’s are good for injecting a bit of fun into your Meet the Teams and bios.
Don’t be afraid to show some personality. If you are an independent agent this is your chance to highlight that you’re not a faceless corporate agency. Talk about your family, share your genuine passions and be yourself.
Use images – there’s a very good agency near me in Brighton which uses photos of their team as they look now and as they did when they were toddlers.
Vendors judge you on your website. They make snap decisions based on whether they ‘like the sound of you’ or not before they call you in for a valuation.
Done well it puts £s in your pocket
Recently I was writing up a success story for a client when his delighted customer told me the main factor in his agency being called into value the property was the personable tone of his website.
That turned into a £6500 commission for the agent. Dismiss the importance and value of the words on your website and marketing materials at your peril.
After all a well written, interesting and light hearted bio can get people to fall in love with you, in my case literally.
Thanks for reading and here’s to your next instruction.
Jerry
PS – Talking of instructions I’ve prepared a set of three killer tout letters for selected agents.
To find out more just ping me an email with your postcode and the words ‘tell me more your smooth talking rascal’.
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