Discover and promote what makes you unique to help your business grow.

Do you find yourself chasing clients? Do you frequently get beat out by other realtors for your ideal clients’ business? Or do you wonder why you work with all different types of buyers and sellers and can’t seem to find the ones you really want to specialize in?

If one of these sounds familiar, it’s likely you have not identified your USP. Here is what a USP is, why it’s important, and how you can identify and promote yours.

What is a USP?

USP is an acronym for Unique Selling Proposition. It is the reason why one person who sells a product or service is different and better than those selling the same product or service. To put it in other words, your USP is what makes you unique and memorable to your target market.

USPs are especially important in real estate because all agents are selling essentially the same thing: properties. In many cases, you will be competing with other realtors to get the exact same listings or will be trying to sell homes that are very similar to others on the market.

|In real estate, the best in the business don’t sell homes or investment properties. Instead, they sell themselves: their personality, way of doing business, customer service skills, and how they make their clients feel about the buying or selling process.

The Advantages of Having a USP

Some realtors worry that they will pigeonhole themselves if they develop and promote a strong USP. This could not be further from the truth. When you try to sell to everyone, you are essentially selling to no one. You can’t tailor your marketing campaigns to solve the problems of your target market and you can’t emphasize what you do best for fear that it will alienate other types of clients.

When you don’t have a solid USP, you look like everyone else. You don’t stand out from other realtors and you find yourself constantly chasing business and trying to convince buyers and sellers to work with you over your competition. There is no way to position yourself as better than other realtors if you don’t have a strong USP.

When you do have a strong USP, you rise to the top quickly. Instead of having to convince others that you are better than other realtors, they’ll already know and will gravitate to you when they are ready to buy or sell. You won’t have to work as hard to get listings and you will quickly become known as the expert in your field.

Determining Your USP

Not sure how to determine your USP? With a little self-reflection, you can almost always determine what sets you apart from the competition. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

■ Do I have a compelling story? Your story does not have to be related to real estate. Perhaps you have a unique childhood background or you’ve had another career before you started selling real estate. Show how this story has helped you become a better realtor.

■ What type of clients do I want to work with?

■ What type of clients have I worked with in the past who have loved my service or who I have really enjoyed serving?

■ What do I want the market to know me for?

■ Is there anything in my procedures or process that makes me unique?

■ What is one thing I do better than other realtors that I can prove?

■ Is there an underserved market in my area and do I want to pursue those clients?

Once you answer these questions, you may realize you really want to serve those with high net worth who are looking for second homes. Or you may discover that your short underwriting turnaround is what sets you apart from your competition. Keep in mind that your USP can blend several aspects of what you do, but you have to be able to convey it in a way that is simple and clear.

Here are some examples of good USPs for realtors:

■  I grew up in Aspen and have more than 25 years of experience buying and selling Aspen ski cabins.

■  We help more clients buy second homes than any other real estate company in the area, and over 70% of our clients are purchasing secondary properties.

■ My background in finance helps me uniquely understand my clients’ mortgage struggles, and I can help them find the loan that works best for them.

■ I am a Compass Concierge agent who can help you prep your home for sale in an easy, cost-effective manner.

■ I have helped over 500 ultra-high net worth clients buy luxury properties all over the world.

Promoting Your USP

Once you’ve chosen the right USP, it’s time to promote it. You want your reputation to precede you so that potential clients already know what to expect when they meet you. Ideally, your perfect client will reach out to you without any effort on your part because they relate to your USP. Here are some ways to effectively promote it:

■ On your website. Make sure your USP is clearly stated in your bio and on the “About Us” section of your website.

■ Through testimonials. Ask those you’ve worked with to give you testimonials and emphasize the points included in your USP.

■ On social media. Social is an ideal way to promote your USP. Craft posts and cultivate articles that coincide and explain your USP to
followers.

■ In content marketing. Talk about your USP in blogs and email newsletters. Educate your readers on what makes you different and speak specifically to the ideal client you want to go after.

■ In networking groups. Whenever you attend a regular networking group or a social event, make sure you find a way to work your USP into your introduction or conversation.

■ On your business card and other printed materials.

■ Through speaking engagements. Reach out to groups that cater to your target market and ask if you can be a speaker at their next get-together so you can talk about your USP and provide some educational tips for buyers or sellers.

Need some help identifying and promoting your USP? Reach out to the experts at Luxury Presence. We’d love to be of assistance.