Not Good Enough, An Argument for Higher Standards

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my business and my professional profile, and how it appears to those looking in and looking at. 

The internet is our main street and the pages about ‘us’ are our shop window. Our first meeting with people is going to be what is being presented digitally. 

I know that comparison is the thief of joy, and that there are real negatives from comparing to others. However, I also think when it comes to our business and our job, we need to be self-critical about how we appear out there, and to ensure that what people are seeing online represents us accurately, and that it does us justice.

Part of my role is to reach out to people and talk to them about whether it would be suitable for us to work together. Like our vendors, the first thing I do when I see a lead come in is check out the person online. What I often find is out of date social pages in old brand colours, google results from past agencies suggesting low recent activity, and RateMyAgent pages with no sales because the page has not been claimed.

Yet when I get on the phone I often find an experienced, personable professional. There is a mismatch between what I can find online and the reality of the person. I know that the cliche is that what’s online looks better than what you find in reality – however in real estate it is often the other way around. 

I am all about being kind to yourself and giving yourself a bit of a break and a bit of grace, as I wrote about recently, but I don’t believe this should be an excuse for low standards.

So where to kick it all off? 

Do a review and be honest. Be tough…

We’re coming into winter time which is always a good time for a bit of seasonal maintenance. There is likely to be some kind of quietening in the market. Some weekends might have no open homes,  or some weekdays it might go really quiet. Make a plan now to give your business a tidy up this winter, and be hard on yourself. 

This is me on the record saying when it comes to how the world sees your business, do not be kind to yourself. 

Once you have taken a look at your online appearance and fixed it up, start on your other marketing collateral in the listing part of the process.

If you brand yourself, is it time for a re-brand, or a brand makeover? I know the big agencies do this every 3-5 years and there is a reason for it. After 5 years, your look may just need a freshen up. 

This way you can be ‘bettering’ your business over the quieter winter months.