Selling Value as a Real Estate Agent

The old saying goes that if you have something to sell (regardless of what it is) you’re in the business of marketing. As a generalization, it is still true. However, if we’re talking about real estate agents, they are in business of information marketing; they are in business of selling value, to be precise.

Many real estate professionals haven’t realized it, but they have not been in business of selling real estate for at least 5-7 years. Opening lock boxes and chauffeuring clients around is not really selling real estate; doing just that will barely feed you, let alone make you rich.

Just like it happen to car dealers before – online tools are making the sales process shorter for homebuyers and real estate agents. Houses essentially are selling themselves online. According to James Hussaini of RealtyPoint, anyone with basic online search skills can find the information. Millennials especially are savvier at finding that information online and deciding if the source is reliable.

By the time a typical buyer starts talking to a real estate agents, he/she has already spent hours online researching, comparing, and calculating. They have accumulated lots of information and very often they feel exhausted. Information overload is a real thing. From researching locations to comparing interiors and exteriors to assessing school districts, more information is available than ever.

If it’s a seller we’re talking about, they also start their search online even in those cases when they get initial referral from a family member or a friend. They may obtain the Realtor’s name offline, but they will most likely go online in order to assess their credentials and validate their expertise.

At the same time, as Hussaini puts it, “the mere access to information, generally speaking, does not make people smarter. They need to know which information sources to trust as they wind their way through life.”

This is where a real estate agent comes in and this is the only way to remain relevant and successful in the changed landscape of real estate today. A successful real estate agent brings experience, knowledge of local real estate market, superior knowledge about every property they encounter and in-depth understanding of real estate rules and regulations.

To put it simply, a real estate agent sells value and the easiest way to define value is as follows: it’s their experience and expertise manifested in their ability to distinguish between a myth and a fact, packaged in an attractive online profile which reflects their personality.

Let’s not forget that a lot of information gathered by prospective buyers and sellers is not correct. Help your prospects sort things out without being condescending and you will have a loyal client for life.