However, did you know that copywriting and content marketing can help you offer them additional value 24/7, expand your exposure and make you a leader in your local community?
Here’s how.
It’s a tough, competitive market out there in Real Estate for an agent.
Whether you’re selling commercial or residential property, leasing and renting homes, or even if you’re a developer, there are more and more agents joining the fray every day, and there’s only so many addresses in your geographical area.
So, how do you compete?
Your strength probably lies in the face-to-face, direct relationships, right? You know that, if you were to be called in to meet a client and you have the chance to present your service to them, you’ve got it in the bag. Well, that’s great when (AND IF) they call you in.
This worked well for a long time.
But, with the digital world well and truly here, the whole game has evolved, and to remain successful, you need to do the same.
The problem is, your audience is changing
Have you seen that your customer is very informed today? Have you noticed that you aren’t automatically winning listings anymore? You’re probably aware that your potential vendor isn’t hiding the fact that they’ve called in five other agents before you.
That’s because they want to be well-informed when making a decision, and today, they absolutely can be.
Your customer now is looking at about 5 to 10 pieces of information before they even get close to contacting an agent.
You Google for more information and do quite a bit or research, don’t you?
When you are thinking about buying a car, I bet you’re all over Audi or BMW’s website, and hunting down every review, testimonial, benefits and problems you can find to form your decision. This means that, by the time you finally see the car salesperson, you almost know more than them!
If you need a plumber, you’re madly searching for their prices, quality, past work and what other people have said recently about their experience, before you even think about calling them.
Your client is doing the exact same thing to you!
Your customer is doing extensive research when they are looking to sell, buy, rent or lease. Then, you’re shocked when they know everything about the auction clearance rate, days on market, selling methods, suburb prices, your past experience and so on, all before you begin your presentation!
The digital environment has given people access to a growing number of tools, especially in the Real Estate environment. There are selling apps like Openn Negotiation (which you should be looking into if you’re an innovative agent!), social media, website portals, online information, selling guides, statistics, drone photography, 3D floor plans, virtual reality, interactive furnishing, and so on.
Also, definitely check out Diakrit- they’ll help you with all of the new tech.
Your customers love these tools and they are starting to demand them.
The problem is, you AREN’T changing
I get it- with every entry of something new, you can feel threatened or challenged, wondering if it’s making you redundant in the eyes of your audience.
But that’s actually not the case with most, especially when it comes to using copywriting and content marketing.
It’s up to you – you can choose to see all of these changes as a challenge that you need to resist, or you can embrace them and find out how you can use these evolving audience demands as a way to offer them more value and get ahead of other agents competing for the same business as you.
The danger you face, as an agent, is not the threat of new technology.
It’s actually in not recognising that your customer wants these new options from you.
It’s in not embracing these changes to find better ways to offer people more value before other agents do.
So, you now that you understand that:
(1) Your potential customers are researching you and the market online
(2) They are gathering information far before they physically contact you
(3) You can’t be everywhere, selling yourself in-person at all times
How do you engage these potential clients while they’re in the research phase? By creating useful content that they want to read, on their terms.
By publishing useful information about the market and how to prepare themselves for selling, renting, buying or leasing, they are finding you and you are delivering them the answers they are searching for.
By creating answers to their questions through useful information, you stop interrupting them and become what they are actually searching for.
So, with the right content, you go from a cold call to a warm lead without any direct contact.
Start with thinking about your customer- they’re who you’re trying to attract and engage!
- What questions are they asking you? Create a blog post that answers them.
- Are they looking to sell? Write a guide about the types of selling methods.
- Are they looking to buy? Produce a video about purchasing tips.
- What info do they want about being a landlord? Write up an article.
- Do they want more details about the local amenities around the suburb? Record a local podcast.
So long as you are creating information that they want and care about, you’re heading in the right direction, and you (and they) will notice the difference.
The rule is this: they are searching for this relevant information, regardless of what you do. So, be the source of the information they find and learn from, rather than another agent or website.
Because:
(1) Your customer is actively looking for it
(2) It’s available at their convenience, 24/7
(3) It puts your information in their path to stumble upon while they’re researching
(4) If it provides them with useful information, you will suddenly be on their radar
(5) It establishes you as the local expert
(6) It separates you from other run-of-the-mill agents
(7) They actually want to talk to you because you already helped them
All of these points make you an agent of choice for your customers and it gets you in the door.
THEN you can work your speciality and close the sale, which is what you specialise in.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? However, regular content is time-consuming and you only have so many hours in the day. So, let me help!
To engage your customer and achieve ongoing success today, you need quality copywriting and consistent content. However, we understand that this is easier said than done.
You’re time poor and spread thin, and writing isn’t your expertise. So, focus on what really matters, while we take care of all of your copywriting and content marketing needs!
For more information or to speak to a quality copywriter to get the results your business deserves, contact me now at chris@melottimedia.com.au.
I can sharpen your words to achieve your goals, today!
Christopher Melotti
Melotti Media Copywriting and Marketing Solutions
www.melottimedia.com.au
Click here to view the Copywriting FAQ page for all you need to know
