Ask An Ambassador: What Sets You Apart From The Crowd?

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

Liz loves unsweetened ice tea from a certain place famous for donuts, so I'll stop there 3-4 times a week on my way home from my engineering job or after showing houses.

I'm there to order one thing, and rare does my order include anything additional.

When I pull up to the drive-thru, one of two things will happen.

1.  "What can we make for you?"

2.  "I got you, go ahead and pull up to the window".

Option 1 is every employee but Britny. 

Option 2 is Britny.  She immediately recognizes me and knows what my order will be.

Britny is the only employee that I know by name because she has set herself apart from the others by understanding how to take customer service to the next level.

I haven't checked the numbers lately, but there are about 6,000 real estate agents in our immediate market.

That's a LOT of choice for the consumer.

So how do you set yourself apart and not just be a commodity real estate agent to the general public?

Your blog is one way to do it.

Maybe it's by emphasizing specifics about yourself (know any other agents with 9 Chihuahuas, 15 cats and 5 beehives?).

Maybe it's by defining a type of service (short sales, probate).

Maybe it's by serving a certain type of client (pet owners, military).

Maybe it's by specializing in a particular kind of of property (low maintenance, luxury, lakefront, golf course).

Maybe it's by focusing on a particular location (Subdivision X).

Maybe it's by being offering local information that your local chamber of commerce would be happy to call their own ( @Andrew Mooers as an example).

Finding a way to set yourself apart can be critical.

Home buyers and sellers often have specific needs and that leads to needing a specific agent.

Can you establish yourself as that specific agent and grow your business?  It's a lot less crowded when you do.

Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help,

Bill & Liz aka BLiz

Posted by

Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
Bill Direct:  513-520-5305
Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

MailTo:  Liz@LizSpear.com

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Comments (11)

Leanne Smith
Dirt Road Real Estate - Golden Valley, AZ
Relocation to NW AZ with elbow room & more freedom

Back in NW IN., I would visit one Panera location and the attendant knew me by name as well as what I would order every morning. Right now I can see her face, but her name escapes me.

Sep 27, 2022 09:09 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

She knew what you wanted, and that's a good sign of customer service being understood.

Sep 27, 2022 09:57 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Hi Bill we have many local shops where they know us and we know them.  It's a 'family-friendly' type area and that works best for all of us.  Your post makes an excellent point of showing agents how to BE that stand out agent that when people think of real estate, they'll think of one agent!

Sep 27, 2022 09:54 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Many different ways, we just have to find what works for us.

Sep 27, 2022 09:57 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten

Thankfully I figured it out years ago and am on a different playing field now!

Sep 27, 2022 10:10 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Featured in BananaTude

 

Sep 27, 2022 09:55 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Liz and Bill Spear - Remembering a person's name is sometimes even better than presenting them with a gift that has no meaning. Forgetting a person's name  sends a strong message that can lead to being forgotten for good.  

I always enjoy learning from you.

Sep 27, 2022 10:53 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Remembering names hasn't been my strong suit.  Maybe it's the engineer in me, but I can remember part numbers from 20+ years in my past, but the name of someone that I just met may escape me.  Just one of the glitches in my matrix :)

Sep 27, 2022 10:58 AM
Emily Medvec
eXp Realty LLC - Santa Fe, NM
Broker | Realtor | Serving Santa Fe & Northern NM

Liz and Bill Spear, thanks for this fresh reminder to be present where ever you are and certainly be kind to the service people helping you, whether you are getting "tea" or getting your car fixed. My iphone contacts is the back up for my memory that can forget a name, but not the face.

Sep 27, 2022 11:17 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Emily, If nothing else, the last couple of years have made it very apparent how valuable service people are to our day to day lives.  We still don't have all the drive thrus open on a reliable basis in our area.

Sep 27, 2022 12:27 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Los Angeles Pasadena 818.516.4393

"We" (editorially speaking, know that Bill appreciates Britny.  And likely Liz does as well (to some degree but likely not as much as Mr S) but I wonder if her employer understands that each customer does not need an "upsell"?  I remember days of long ago when I was in management where "secret shoppers" were out in force reviewing employees.  What do customers really want???  The answer might be surprising to some execs who think they understand. . .       

Sep 27, 2022 12:46 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Michael, Exactly if I want something more, it's easy enough for me to tell them "got any blueberry donuts today?". 

On the other end of the extreme is a lead service that texts me twice in one day, I don't respond, so the next day get the "real human here, my boss will tell me to continue texting until you respond".  1.  I didn't ask for you to contact me  2.  I don't OWE you a reply, my silence should be reply enough.  3.  Harassing me will NOT get business from me. 

Sep 27, 2022 12:59 PM
Michael Jacobs

So true.  

Sep 27, 2022 01:02 PM
Kat Palmiotti
406-270-3667, kat@thehousekat.com, Broker/REALTOR® - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Kudos to Britny!

As for us, yes, we need to do something to distinguish ourselves. Why else would anyone who is selling or buying think of us?

Sep 28, 2022 05:21 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

In this industry it's too easy to just be generic.  We found our niche because we knew there was a demand for low maintenance living.

Sep 28, 2022 07:38 AM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Bill,
I'm always amazed when I go to the country club that the servers know everyone's name. There are hundreds of members. I often wonder if they really know EVERYONE's name or just us because we are special.  LOL  Of course, we know their names too.

Sep 28, 2022 06:12 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I don't know how they do it!  Over the course of my 3 decades with my engineering job I've worked with 1000s of people and I find after a few years of not working directly with someone my recall of names starts to fade.  The name eventually comes to me, but not always on first demand by my brain :)

Sep 28, 2022 07:39 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Bill,

As usual a great post on what it means to go above and beyond the average service provided. When you go the extra mile like Brinty people remember you because you made them feel valued and special!

Sep 28, 2022 07:39 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

She definitely has it figured out!

Sep 28, 2022 09:17 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Long & Foster Real Estate Inc 610-225-7400 - Devon, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Having just moved an hur away from where I generally work, I am in the process of getting known locally. I am blogging and posting videos, not as many as i would like but that is the challenge whilst discovering my way around as well.

Sep 29, 2022 08:52 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Nick, The fundamentals are there and you know them.  When we move to WV, I know I COULD establish a presence if I wanted to, but I think we're going to be better off leveraging our presence here for referrals.

Sep 29, 2022 09:29 AM
John Wieland
Exp Realty - Delray Beach, FL
Mr Downtown Delray

Love it Liz and Bill Spear - such an important idea. Specialize. Niche-down. Can't shout this out enough to our industry. Dare to be YOU. Find YOUR tribe. Yeah, agents who do make consistent effort to specialize, stand out... the rest are part of the 6,000+ crowd.

Sep 29, 2022 09:26 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

We had our niche prompted years ago by a buyer who needed something specific, and we quickly realized our MLS didn't make it easy to find.  Bingo!  An opportunity to develop a niche to go with "regular" residential sales was born.

Sep 29, 2022 09:31 AM