by Joe Rosengarten
According to industry veteran AJ Lamba, a clear marketing plan is crucial for success in the modern real estate industry. Working with a brokerage to develop a marketing plan is a must in the current market, which is as competitive as ever before. Developing a brand that stands for all of the right things is an effective way for agents to differentiate themselves from the competition.
“Real estate is the most expensive product that anyone can sell, so this industry is the graduation of any good sales person,” says Lamba, who is Broker of Record at Whitehill Real Estate Team Inc. “But being good at sales is not enough, you have to have a proven marketing plan. If you don't have that and you have an unstructured approach to your marketing, the chances are you will not be very successful.”
Lamba believes that brokerages have a responsibility to work with agents to develop individual marketing strategies and not a “one size fit all approach” that most nrokerages and trainers do. What works for one may not work for another and it is crucial to have a customized plan that suits your individual profile and personality. Lamba is very skeptical of large training sessions in convention centres, events in which hundreds of agents listen to the views of an individual who purports to be a marketing expert although most of these so called trainers have not sold a single property in last 10 years or more and have no real live experience in a world that is changing so fast.
“And above all these so called experts have no accountability. The give their stage performance and then they move on, and if they are so successful in real estate why are they now trainers?” Lamba says. “They are taking advantage of inexperienced agents who are anxious and desperate to hear about the next big secret or strategy.”
“When we invest the money to create an agent’s advertising strategy, we are branding the agent themselves, not our brokerage. You can’t wing it in real estate. You need expertise in certain areas, like marketing. It’s all about knowing and understanding that strategy like you know and understand your business plan. It is both an art and a science.”
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