Forget infographics, lists and pie charts, writes agent Theresa Boardman. Instead, tell a compelling story about how you helped your customers.
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IIn March, the National Association of Realtors Offer to settle $418 million, which would effectively end most commission litigation Trade groups have been fighting.
If these terms are accepted, NAR agrees to cancel the commission on the MLS, no longer show it on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and require agents to enter into a written buyer representation agreement before showing a home with a buyer.
Some real estate agents may be in trouble after the Sitzer ruling.It’s too early to say anything now New rules eliminating MLS commissions will have an impact.
I know some agents are concerned about using buyer representation contracts as a condition of settlement. Agents care about how they get paid for working with buyers.
There are several articles for real estate agents about “valuable suggestions” and”Prove value.” Nothing new here. Being a real estate agent is always competitive. Winning business from buyers or sellers has never been easy, and many in the industry believe it will get even harder.
Here are some thoughts on why you should abandon generic value propositions in your marketing and focus on accurate storytelling to drive your business forward and create the meaningful connections that future customers are looking for.
Forget oversharing of lists and value prop maps
A popular technique agents are using now is to share ready-made reports, infographics and lists illustrating how much value the average real estate agent provides to their clients.
This collateral is designed for any agent and is promoted by NARs, state associations, and even master business coaches.
The National Association of Realtors has a document that real estate agents can use: 179 ways to get your money’s worth as a real estate agent. This is a very typical list.
This list includes tasks that I call “administrivia”. Seriously, do consumers really care about in-office checklists or checkout information sheets? NAR’s listing includes appointments and confirmation via email. Are people really willing to pay exorbitant fees just so we can get an appointment?
Many tasks may be necessary but can be performed by AI or interns and do not require a high salary. Someone who works for a small company like mine may have fewer administrative tasks.
Generic checklists won’t help agents stand out in a crowded market. If a consumer interviews three agents and each agent has similar listings in their listing demo, who will they choose? You can’t demonstrate your value through lists, especially management to-do lists.
Of course, real estate agents work hard. Many people work hard and their jobs are sometimes even more important. Consider someone who works in a nursing home. Consider those low-wage hourly workers who end up working more than one job.
When I think of important jobs and hard-working people, the first person that comes to mind is emergency room nurse practitioners. Their job seems more life-or-death than that of a real estate agent. They also need more education.
Real estate agents are not paid by the hour or how hard they work. Their compensation is based on results, specific results. You don’t need a degree to become a real estate agent, and it’s an easy field to get into.
The best real estate agents have the experience and soft skills to customize their to-do lists based on the situation and client. They do not need to provide a job description to their audience.
Use storytelling to show your value
When experts lecture agents on how to “prove their worth,” I’m not sure they understand what value is in this context.I agree with renowned industry speakers, coaches and authors Valerie Garcia, “Value is the emotional feeling associated with solving a problem.”
Place stories in your briefing based on real-life scenarios rather than ready-made graphics and checklists. They are much more powerful than pie charts. Maybe you can solve a problem for a customer or save the customer some money. Maybe you caught your customer’s attention, but they might have missed it. tell a story. Use stories as examples when customers demonstrate and discuss your services.
Storytelling in marketing doesn’t have to be challenging. See some of my previous articles on building conversations with customers:
Realtors are already excited and ready to make changes, even though they don’t know exactly how NAR’s proposed settlement will affect their business or whether a court will approve it..
As a real estate agent, it’s all about the people and how they feel about the most important purchase or sale of their lives. No list can replace soft skills or experience.
Ditch the lists and pie charts and focus instead on telling valuable educational stories—consumers are definitely listening.
