“We have automated and "teched" our way out of people’s lives and relationships.” For almost three decades I have been in real estate, and you always hear about the people needing to know you, like you and trust you.
In 2024 this is not enough to thrive in the real estate industry any longer. We are now in a time where it is imperative to an agent’s success the people know, like and trust you but now they also must see you!!
Every agent needs to up their game in 2024 and find ways to be known, liked, trusted, and seen. Gone are the days you can get away from showing up and being seen by people. We are inundated with information, visuals, messages, and we are getting more and more guarded with our time, space, and attention…Out of sight, out of mind!!
So how can we focus more on being seen in 2024 and capture their attention and be more top of mind?
Here are my top ideas to be seen:
- Morning Coffee Routine – every morning for the last 30 years I go to a coffee shop and enjoy hanging with the regulars. It never fails we end up talking about real estate and business comes from that time year after year after year.
The secret is to be social and interact and talk to people. Not sit on your phone or in a book or on your laptop. The owners of the local coffee shop just last week asked me about a development land piece they just put an option on and what to build and need a proposal for marketing what we feel they should build. Not bad conversation for a $4 coffee and 30-minute conversation in the morning? - Coffee, Breakfast, Lunches – make a point to meet with your clients and give them the gift of your time and take the time to break bread with them. Easy to do but easier to not do day after day. Deepen that relationship with others and increase top of mind and make them feel truly important to you and your business.
- Video email or text – 86% of communication is nonverbal. Tone, voice inflection, eye contact and body language and video delivers that punch! Why email and text when you can wow and awe your people with a video email or text. Bomb Bomb ($) or Loom (Free) are great tools to use for this. Just a little secret your phone does video email and text too and its free!!!
- Call – Are you ready for this crazy little secret? Your phone makes incoming and outgoing calls!!! Take the time to just call and say hi.
Stop underestimating the power of the simple. Remember the old ad that said, “Reach out and touch someone”? Take the time and do it and make them feel important and cared for. - Handwritten Notes – The power of a personal handwritten note with your business card attached. It always gets opened, always gets read, shows you took time and care, and always leaves people feeling better than they did before. Sadly, this is a lost art and something that never dies.
- Personal Mail – We never get mail anymore and if we do it is a bill. Mail that is personal, like a handwritten note, gets opened and read, and if it contains something valuable to the receiver and not to you, then it makes an impact on them. I guarantee it!
- Social Media – It is not about looking at what everyone else is doing and what you are posting. Dale Carnegie said, “People don’t care what I know unless they know that I care.” Be seen and show them you care.
Like, comment, message, and make them feel important to you. How powerful would a quick Facebook message be that asks someone how they are doing? How’s their family? Anything I can do to help? How would that make them feel and how would you show up to people if you took the time to do it?
PS In two years, 100% of the content feed on Facebook will be video. Do you post video content? - Client Events – Hosting annual client events like seminars, appreciation parties or my personal favorite, hosting their housewarming parties always makes an impact on others and a fantastic way to show up and be seen in 2024. Do you see them? Appreciate them? Add value to them? Make them feel like a rock star and host their housewarming party?
- Deliver the Unexpected – every spring, summer and fall find an item and a funny tag to add to the item and drop by your client’s place of work and let them feel the love!
Every summer I love delivering everyone at their work place the BBQ triple packs of Ketchup, Relish and Mustard with a tag on them saying “Just ketching up and relish your referrals and not all agents cut the mustard.” People at work ask who I was, what that was for and look at the tag and laugh out loud every time. - Give Back – The amount of people you get to meet and interact with when you are part of an event as a volunteer and the joy and sense of purpose you get from giving back is the perfect one-two punch! I always end up connecting with someone new and someone old and such a great way to show up and be seen and make a difference.
- B2B – I started my own business networking group and CEO mastermind groups to meet monthly and idea share and connect professionals in the community with one another. Such a powerful way to be seen and add value and be seen in the community and be the straw that stirs the drink in your community.
So, there you have it, ways to be seen in 2024. Show up and be seen and not just known, liked, and trusted in the coming year. I dare you to just try one of these ideas and let me know how it worked. Feel free to add more comments on how you show up and be seen that works and adds values. Love to hear from you all!!
Strength and courage,
Wade
