Why Being Different is Better Than Being Better
“If you can’t be the best at something, be the only one doing it.”
I can never remember where I first saw that quote or who said it, but it’s one of my favorites.
And the message behind it is simple…
Be the best or be different.
Because when you’re the best at something, or when you’re doing something no one else is doing, you stand out.
And standing out is vital for recruiting.
So, if you’re the best brokerage in your market at something, recruit to that.
Maybe you have #1 market share. Or the most productive agents. Or the best technology.
As long as you can back up your claim of being the unquestioned best, you want to use that as the centerpiece of your recruiting efforts.
But, since (by definition) most brokerages cannot be the best, the easier strategy is often to be different.
And there are a couple ways you can differentiate yourself.
First, you can differentiate yourself by having a program, service, core philosophy, etc. that none of your competitors have.
A few examples I’ve seen are:
Full in-house marketing, transaction coordination, and tech support
Regular parties/appreciation events for your agents (the kind everyone wants to attend)
Committing a portion of all commissions earned to local charities/causes
Training on “fringe” topics like property management, probate, multi-family properties, or working with foreign buyers and sellers
On-site opportunities with builders
Just keep in mind whatever you do needs to be meaningfully different when compared to your direct competitors.
The good news is, you don’t compete with every brokerage in your market, so finding a meaningful way to be different is easier than you might think.
Another option for differentiating yourself is in the way you recruit.
With this strategy, you don’t need to have anything different about your brokerage, you just need your recruiting messages and materials to stand out.
Once again, this is easier than you might think.
More than half the brokerages in your market do little or no recruiting (according to NAR stats).
And the ones who do recruit likely blast spam emails no one reads, make calls using the same tired-out scripts, or send unimaginative direct mail.
So there’s plenty of opportunity for you to stand out.
Send prospects unexpected or unique gifts.
Use marketing messages or scripts no one else is using.
Drop by open houses with goodies.
Use humor.
The options for being different are near limitless.
