When you are thinking about raising your profile and gaining more clients in your local market, you may be focused primarily on the ways in which you will reach new leads and clients. However, in many cases, it’s not just who you are talking to and what platforms you’re using that puts you on the radar of your next client—it’s the way that you define and communicate your value as a real estate professional. Whatever makes you special and unique, and makes your service stand out, can be considered your unique value proposition (UVP).

Developing your UVP

As a real estate agent, you may do many of the same things that your colleagues do: working with buyers and sellers, negotiating offers, facilitating transactions, and providing support and advice all the way to the closing table.

However, to differentiate your services and stand out from the crowd, it is important for you to focus on the things that you do that are either better or different than others working in your market. These could include:

• Better results, including higher average sale price or lower days on market
• More expertise, including specialized knowledge, certifications, or designations
• More experience, including more years in the area or more in-depth understanding of a specific neighborhood
• Niche expertise, including experience working with unique transactions, unique property categories, or specific client groups
• Greater access through leadership positions in the local or state Board of Realtors, professional organizations, chamber of commerce, or a specialized professional network

By focusing on the things that make you and your services unique, you can develop a reputation for expertise that goes beyond that of other agents in your industry and in your local area.

Audiences for communicating your UVP

There are a variety of groups with whom you’ll want to communicate as you develop an audience for your real estate services. The same messaging won’t work for everyone, so you’ll want to tailor it to the unique interests, requirements, and needs of the audience. These include the following:

FSBOs

For Sale By Owner leads tend to be more focused on the financial impact of the home sale process. You’ll want to communicate your effectiveness in marketing your listings, especially if you can show higher-than-average sale prices or lower-than-average days on market.

In addition, because they tend to be uniquely price-sensitive, you’ll want to emphasize the many things you do to market their property at no additional cost, including professional photography, copywriting, graphic design, or complimentary staging services. You’ll need to convince these sellers that you are worth your commission and more.

Expired listings

Oftentimes, sellers with expired listings have been frustrated by selling their home, either because it was priced and presented incorrectly or because they felt dissatisfied by the services of their previous listing agent. Be careful of becoming a sounding board for their critique of your colleagues; instead, emphasize the things that you do to create exceptional client outcomes. Discuss your pricing strategy and marketing process and emphasizing your practices for communicating throughout the transaction.

New leads

For new leads, you’ll want to understand their experience with real estate and their expectations moving forward. For first-time home buyers, emphasize your commitment to educating them throughout the process and answering any questions they may have. If they are more familiar with the buying or selling process, focus on their goals and how you can facilitate a successful transaction moving forward.

Past clients

While your past clients will be familiar with your style and the level of service you provide, let them know about other ways in which you can help them. For past buyer clients, add value by providing information on maximizing their home’s equity and preparing for resale down the road.

Continue to reach out and let past clients know that you welcome their referrals. Ask for reviews and testimonials that you can add to your website or share on social media. It is far more cost-effective to reach out to past clients than to convert a brand-new client through cold-calling and other marketing methods. Once you’ve got a satisfied client, keep them as part of your sphere by continuing to reach out and add value through marketing.

Ways to communicate your UVP

Consider the following methods for communicating your UVP and sharing it with potential clients:

Value-added content

From a well-written bio to blog, video, and podcast content, share your UVP by providing educational and informational material. One piece of well-written content can be repurposed in the following ways:

• As a blog post on your website
• As the script for a video on your YouTube channel
• Broken up into components and turned into Postcards or other content, and then shared on your social media platforms
• Shared as part of a pitch to media figures through HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
• As the basis of a custom email sent to your sphere of influence (SOI)
• As part of a custom video message sent to leads who inquire about you and your services.

Affiliated services

If you have developed specific expertise in a valued niche, reach out to affiliated service providers in your area and find ways to partner with them and build a referral network. For example, if you have a specialty in farm and land sales, you may want to reach out to a local builder or to a lender who offers unique loan products designed specifically for new construction. If you specialize in senior services, you may want to reach out to facilitators for estate sales, home cleanout, and decluttering services.