Reilly Newman | “I specialize in your neighborhood!” This is what was stated at the top of a postcard I received in the mail from a realtor. They stated this because apparently there was a home that sold that was in close proximity to my home. This is a cliche tactic realtors use to market themselves in hopes of drumming up some inventory to push. Unfortunately, this statement isn’t a selling point. It’s a fabricated value proposition that doesn’t actually provide value.
The neighborhood is only one aspect of a home and why would I assume they would be any better at marketing my home than one in a different neighborhood? Selling a home in a neighborhood does not make you a specialist. This would mean that any realtor who has sold a home in a neighborhood is now a specialist for that neighborhood. Experience alone doesn’t grant expertise.
If this were the case, then a single sale of anything would render a specialist which ultimately would convert everyone (that are “specialists”) into generalists. As you can see, the “sales” tactic quickly dissolves once a homeowner applies an ounce of thought to the statement.
Now, are they trying to say they specialize in my price point of a home? Or the number of rooms? This would be a much more convincing argument because it’s more specific – and buyer-conscious (more on this later).
For example, I have a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home. That’s a specific home that provides a solution for my family’s needs. If a realtor approached me and said they have a whole list of families wanting a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home, then let the bidding begin. This is where businesses get confused in their marketing. Not being specific enough and calling out their “specialty” creates confusion and an appearance of incompetence.
Specialization doesn’t come from generalities. It is rooted in specifics. A specialized realtor is someone who specializes in moving military families with children or single men with big dogs. As you can imagine these two scenarios create very specific lists of needs that apply to their own audiences. Each has its solutions that can be sold to them.
The difference in this approach is the specification which is derived from focusing on the buyer. Only by focusing on the buyer and their needs can you specialize to provide them with immense value.
On the other hand, from the seller’s perspective, they are selling their home, not their neighborhood. They don’t care if you sold homes around the corner or homes of similar prices. These are auxiliary attributes of the sale. Yes, a $2,000,000 home has a different audience than a $200,000 home, and you can build experience selling either one. However, the price is determined by the value of the home perceived. This brings me back to my previous point about focusing on the buyer. Price isn’t a goal for the buyer. Yes, the signaling of a $2M home does say something, but the designer architecture or infinity pool with a view says a lot more to them and their aspirations; hence the larger price tag and willingness to pay it.
It’s good to specialize. It’s even better to do it properly by focusing on the true desires of your focused audience. This will make your marketing to buyers and sellers a lot more impactful. This applies to realtors just as much as it applies to B2B and B2C brands.
