What’s the problem with UK Estate Agency today? (Part 1)
Well, You aren’t the problem – far from it. Its the UK estate and letting agency system that is the problem. The system and the techniques of generating new business in estate agency, which used to work 10 or 20 years ago dont work now. That’s not your fault. You aren’t to blame for that. You are an awesome estate agent working in an industry that is really hard work… doesn’t it?
A few days ago I promised you I would show you a different system, a different way to generate new instructions and listings for your agency .. where people come to you – because you weren’t just another estate agent .. you were even the the local property expert .. you were the leading authority on property in your town.
Over these series of posts in the coming week, I will show you the four main ways to make yourself the local property authority (click here for original article) .. so here we go …
People like to tag other people so we can understand them; it’s just the way human mind works.
By giving people a tag (or one might even say a label) we can put them into a box in our heads.
He is an estate agent, she is a letting agent, she is a teenager, he is football supporter, she is lady ‘who lunches’, he does drugs, she is a solicitor, he is OAP, she is an Airline Pilot.
The reason we tag people is it’s so much simpler to attach a certain set of assumptions, one might say a set of rules or a template of that person and what they do (the tag), to that ‘type’ of person.
Its just the way the human brain works .. we like to put people into neat little boxes .. but here is the issue
It makes it easy to assume or surmise what someone is like, and someone is stands for. And it is the death nail for you and your estate agency brand… because let’s be honest – the industry doesn’t have the best of reputations .. we are down there with Double Glazing salesman and Parking Wardens
If you have a one-dimensional simple label that you identify your brand with – estate agent or letting agent, whatever – people will see you as part of this great big group of estate agents and letting agents that they already have templates for in their mind. And you will not stand out. At all.
As an estate or letting agent don’t need a tag or label – you need a purpose, you need a sticker in the back of your car (like they had in the 1990’s …. ON A MISSION)
Things you stand for that the rest of your industry doesn’t stand for, or has a painfully weak stance not worth mentioning. Your mission is to bring value. Passion, professionalism to Estate and Letting Agency. Only you can decide what that is, and once you do, you’ve got to push for it with all you are worth.
Then you’re not another estate and letting agent, you’re you.
You are worth remembering.
You are not just the MD of an estate agency in deepest Berkshire, no, you are the Sir ‘Bleeding’ Richard Branson of Estate Agent MD’s. You are the daddy.
You need to decide what it is you stand for and what you bring to the estate and lettings industry. And then you need to live that out loud so no one can possibly put a label on you. And then nobody forgets you.
When I started out as a Guide for Business Generation Guru for Estate and Letting Agents, I had mission. I walked in determined to bring class to the Estate agency industry, inspire the hell out of pressure-crushed agents, and give straight talk without the bullshit you see everywhere else.
You can like me, you can hate me. Whatever. I’ve got mission, and that’s why business comes to me and I’m not scrambling around looking for it.
Get your own mission. I want to see the same thing happen to you.. but choose you mission well.
Choose a mission where people will follow you, because you are the leading authority and what you say goes. Think about what will intrigue, fascinate, educate, and help all the home owners and landlords in your town .. so they hang on very word you say?
The mission I think you need to have is to give the people straight talking advice and opinion on what is happening on your town to the value of their property – that is a worthy mission – because people are fascinated by property.
Early next week, I shall explain what Part 2 is in becoming the local Property Authority
kindest
Christopher
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