Successful REALTORS® differentiate themselves

Roseann Farrow is a speaker at the Triple Play REALTORS® Convention and Trade Show, Dec. 7-9 in Atlantic City. 

Being a client’s REALTOR® for life is more than knowing the business, according to Roseann Farrow, a real estate coach and trainer based in New York. 

NAR’s 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers revealed that 31 percent of buyers ranked honesty and trustworthiness as the most important qualities of a REALTOR® and 23 percent selected a REALTOR® based on his reputation. “Only 11 percent picked a REALTOR® based on her knowledge of the neighborhood,” Farrow added. “That means getting clients to like you, to trust you and to feel comfortable working with you are important in making sure you keep a client coming back. 

“Marketing yourself and differentiating yourself from other agents become that much more important,” she added. “You need to evaluate what qualities set you apart from others.  These become your distinctive, competitive, sustainable advantages.” 

Farrow recommends The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders which reviews successful business people who have the following traits: 

• Friendliness – They have the ability to establish a relationship with people and make them feel comfortable
• Relevance – They connect with others by discussing issues that are meaningful to them
• Empathy – They listen and recognize other people’s needs
• Realness – They are true to themselves and are honest about what they believe.

“Top REALTORS® have all of these traits, the entire package,” Farrow said. “When a top agent is with a client, he makes the client believe there’s no one more important than the person he’s with.” 

Farrow believes these traits help relay key marketing messages that inspire consumer confidence.  These messages are: 

• I am successful
• I am knowledgeable
• I care about my clients
• I keep my clients informed.

Being part of the community and giving back also allows people to get to know you and appreciate your value proposition, Farrow said. “Join clubs, volunteer or serve on a board. You want to make a statement about yourself and how you relate to your community. You want to be an agent who also has a real life and isn’t just a real estate ‘psycho.’ After all, no one is going to say at your funeral, ‘She was a great lister,’” Farrow added.

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