How can you prove yourself as an expert in your field and earn the automatic respect from customers and potential customers?
You have to become an authority in your real estate market, with your knowledge and experience.
There are ways to automatically position yourself as that.
Think about when you give away a business card, or even if you mail out letters. Most mail is opened right over the trash can, there's a high chance it's going to be thrown away.
People get business cards ALL THE TIME. They're nice to give out, but it's not like business cards really help you stand out that much.
Same with your personal website or email. They're something you have to have, but it won't create a point of difference that's going to really stick in someone's mind.
What can do that then?
Books.
Books have giant perceived value. They don't get thrown away.
They can get tucked away somewhere, but most people aren't going to toss them in the trash. They're worth something, and they're worth something to the author's name.
Have you heard of Maya Angelou?
You may have, but you probably didn't know she was the fifth most trusted celebrity according to a study done by Forbes in 2013. She was a professor but is most famous for writing seven autobiographical books.
Out of every celebrity or public figure, people said they trusted her that much, because of the value of her books.
People really respect authors. They are thought as experts in their fields.
Look at Gary Keller for an example. He wrote his first book in 2004. Keller Williams was already huge by then, but when he started to publish books it took him to a new stratosphere.
He's been #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and a national figure.
Check out how much they skyrocketed from 2004 and on. This is what becoming an expert will do for you, just on a much bigger scale than a single agent. But it works on any scale.
There are countless examples of people writing books to paint them as the expert.
38 percent of sellers choose a realtor based on reputation.
Only 14 percent of realtors are perceived as honest.
This is really low and that means they're probably not going to totally trust you. But this is what the books can change. It can and it will convince them that you're not part of any gimmick marketing.
Any luxury homes or smart owners are going to look right past that type of marketing. Offering to buy their home if it doesn't sell in a certain amount of type won't convince any that is smart.
When you give a book to a seller or prospective buyer, that has your professional headshot on it, it's a completely different game than before.
You're branding yourself as that expert.
This stuff works.
Here's another example. Toyota vs. Lexus. In fact, Toyota owns Lexus. The Toyota Avalon looks a whole lot like the Lexus GS. It's hard to tell the difference. But the price of the Lexus is 42-percent higher than the Toyota.
The Toyota Avalon looks a whole lot like the Lexus GS. It's hard to tell the difference.
But the price of the Lexus is 42-percent higher than the Toyota. It's about creating your brand.
They're not going to get $48,600 for a Toyota when it has a Toyota brand in front of it. Lexus brands themselves and the GS as a luxury brand.
You can do the same thing with your headshot on a book and you as the author. You won't be a part of that 86-percent of realtors that don't get trust from sellers.
The book builds that trust. It's no harder to get a "yes" from a million dollar seller than a $100,000 seller, if you have authority.
If you're not building yourself up authority, it will be hard to to get listings.
It's worked with one of our realtors. Joe Nickelson was a landscaper. He had no experience and needed to get out of the ditch digging business.
We built him the first three books we offer and he started to hand them out.
"I was a new realtor but sent my books and their packages out FSBOs," he said, " I followed up with them and got a response from almost a third of the owners."
He had never sold a home before.
Joe followed through on the implementation and listed a high-end home for a million dollars.
The FSBO was a high-end doctor.
Then the doctor was impressed and recommended him to another doctor who he listed a 3-million dollar beach front home with.
It all came from becoming an authority.
Books are the biggest point of difference that you can have.
When you author a book, you have legitimacy. It instantly transforms your communication with an expired.
In fact, how many homes have you walked into a home that has bookshelves? Books are knowledge.
People hold book signings. It's a whole different concept than just chasing leads.
This is the best way to increase your referrals.
68 percent of clients say they would never refer an agent and 38 percent never do it.
So when you meet with your listings, give them three or four books and ask them to give to anyone. It worked for Steve, a realtor in South Florida.
"I went on a listing appointment one time, and I showed up and I had the book. The people, they open it up and there’s the book and the lady said, 'we already have a copy of that. Our friends gave it to us when we were selling. That’s why we called you,' ” he said.
He's a veteran realtor, but the books he ghost wrote have contributed to 25 listings.
"They add instant credibility to me. I’m credible. I know I’m credible. I’ve been a realtor for years, but a lot of these sellers in our market are not, they’re not full-time residents, they’re vacationers, and when I show up with my presentation but I have this book, they take me more seriously," he added.
The real key to this is to pay attention to who writes these books. They use ghost writers and pay big money to get a book made for them. Then they put their picture on the front and market themselves as the
Then they put their picture on the front and market themselves as the expert. JFK did. George W. Bush did. They each used books to reinforce their brand.
It's worked for Gregg, a California realtor.
"My competition sits and just pounds sellers day after day with phone calls and direct mail. Then, they knock on their door to try to get them to list. I like how it made me an authority, which is more in alignment with how I work. I got 3 quick listings from that."
Right now we offer 14 different books with hundreds of cover and title variations for our members.
It's much cheaper than paying $20,000 or so to get a book ghost written for you. Then the members get drop off packages for each individual books. But they are ways to get your own book done, ghost writing is much more common than you think.
This is how you brand yourself as the authority and the expert without beating your chest and yelling it.
In 2016 only 9 percent of buyers found their house from open houses. This is because everyone uses the internet to search now.
But neighbors and other people who are looking are great to give the books too. Sellers looking to meet buyers could be there as well.
If you have your website set up with you as the author, then that creates a similar expert feel like when books get handed out. Offer a free copy from your site. Then you're an authority online.
Here is everything we offer:
- License to use 14 real estate books as your own.
- Author website that ranks in Google.
- Your own blog with 100+ pre-written articles.
- Social media marketing templates.
- Home value website for capturing leads.
- Training strategies on how to use your books to get business.
This is why it works. There are two reasons it does.
One, you're a great agent, like Joe. He fought for the best price and got it done in a timely matter. Two, he had something real. It's the opposite of a gimmick. Top lawyers right books, top doctors write books. It's what the authorities of their industries do.
This is how the process can work for you.
One of the best and most versatile aspects is that you can be an authority in almost every real estate niche.
Books have a huge perceived value. They don’t get thrown away.
They can get tucked away somewhere, but most people aren’t going to toss them in the trash. They’re worth something, and they’re worth something to the author’s name.
Do this and you will position yourself as the authority in your market. When you give away your book, it will separate you from your competition. That’s how a smart agent thinks!
Want to get a free sample of the book that will get you more listings? Click the link below.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams of owning property, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here!
