“It is better to be looked over than overlooked.” — Mae West

If anyone knew how to get looked over instead of overlooked, it was the 20th century actress Mae West (for you younger REALTORS^®, think Angelina Jolie).

West crafted a persona (a brand) that has stood the test of time. Even though she died in 1980, her name remains synonymous with distinction. She was the consummate brand builder, long before brand building was on the radar. In short, she knew how to stand out from the crowd.

One of West’s signature tools was the feather boa she wore around her neck like a scarf. Viewers knew her instantly just by her look.  In fact, there’s an official naval flotation device worn around the neck named for Mae West. That’s how effective that one piece of clothing became for her.

And today, even 30 years after her death, West can still give us lessons in how to get looked over, especially REALTORS^® who so often and so easily get lost in the crowd among all the real estate professionals out there.

I’d like for you to consider your own feather boa — your device for getting noticed (and chosen) for business.  To do that, I’d like to share a few tips that can help you stand out enough to make even Mae West proud.

1. Survey your landscape

Mae West knew she was just one of hundreds of other actresses and that it’d be easy to get lost in the scenery with all those other beauties. So she had to consider the landscape and come up with something that would not only make her rise to the surface, but also get noticed.

So what’s your landscape look like? Step back and take a good long look at what’s going on in your particular market. Forget what the national news is. Zero in on your area and the key neighborhoods where you work. What do people in your market consider important when it comes to real estate? What matters to them? Also, find out what other REALTORS^® are not doing or not willing to do, then do it with reckless abandon.

Look at businesses in other industries that have carved out a niche to become leaders. Consider Amazon.com. There are online retailers everywhere these days, but how many make shopping as easy and personalized as Amazon? Not many. What is it in your community that’s begging to be done for your potential clients? Find it and use it!

2. Get seen 

Here’s a news flash: If you want to be seen as standing out from other REALTORS^®, guess what? You have to get seen in the first place. How do you do that? Well, your advertising is one obvious (and likely well-used) tactic, but another tool many REALTORS^® often overlook is public relations. Take this next sentence to heart and it could put you in the spotlight for the rest of your career: Learn how to become a resource to reporters.

You can stand head and shoulders above the rest of the REALTORS^® who are shipping out sloppy and self-promotional press releases by simply being a resource.

Here’s an example. Suppose NBC Nightly News reports on housing prices. The newspaper in your town needs to localize this story. The reporter who covers real estate needs a local REALTOR^® who can talk about housing prices in Wisconsin. Who might that be? You, of course! The reporter interviews you and you become the local expert. Free of charge!

Take the time to get to know reporters and let them understand that you can share insight into area housing prices, neighborhood issues, property rights and all the other items related real estate.

3. Communicate

To get seen, you don’t have to always rely on a third-party media outlet. Today, it’s easier than ever to create your own media outlet. The Internet has made it possible to be your own publishing company with blogs, websites and e-newsletters; your own radio station with podcasting; even your own TV station via sites like YouTube. I’m a big proponent of all these items and I encourage you to use what feels comfortable.

Something I like to see REALTORS^® do is send out satisfaction questionnaires to recent clients. Just the fact that you send such a questionnaire says a lot; it tells the receiver that you care. Keep it simple and ask for a sentence or two about what they liked and didn’t like and any suggestions for improvement. 

Also, remember handwritten thank you notes — sadly, something of an endangered species these days. How often do you get anything handwritten in the mail, much less from someone in business? Imagine the client who finds your thank-you note among all the generic trash. Talk about standing out in a crowd. Always have a stack of thank-you notes handy and take a few minutes each day to send a few out.

And consider a newsletter for your area of expertise. But make sure the information is useful. You can complement local papers with news of what the city council is doing related to real estate, school news, police reports and new ordinances. Do that and people will not only read it, they’ll also appreciate and respect you. They could even begin to see you as the real estate expert you are!

4. Be consistent

Like it or not, you have to compete with hundreds of other marketing messages consumers get peppered with every day. To break through the clutter, it’s imperative that you “look like you” every time potential clients see your messages.

Mae West understood this rule of consistency through her feathered boas. Take time to really define who you are in your market place and build a crystal-clear sense of what you can offer your consumers. When I visit agents for the first time, I like to get to know them and learn who they are as people first before we discuss their business. I want to know what their strengths and weaknesses are; what they feel confident about and what makes them worry. All this helps to build their own personal brand in the marketplace — a brand they can feel comfortable with day in and day out. Building on something that’s not comfortable won’t work in the long run. I believe success starts with who a person truly is. Everything grows from that point forward.

After examining and defining your brand in your marketplace, let everything you do reflect your brand. Then, you can develop the one thing you need to “stand out in the crowd” to add to your advertising, your newsletters, your business cards, and your website that says “Hey, this is a REALTOR^® you can trust to do a better job than every other REALTOR^® out there.”

5. Do good (and tell folks about it)

Another variation of public relations is goodwill. Someone once defined public relations as doing good and telling about it. It’s just that simple. And it works for the bottom line. Why do the large conglomerates talk about their community service? Because it sells. It’s proven people like to do business with good companies (and good people).

And besides, giving back to your community feels good. Why? I believe (and I know many REALTORS^® agree) that the good life is determined by what we give in this world, not what we get. That said, I would add that you can be thoughtful in what you choose to give back to. There are so many choices: volunteering at schools, giving scholarships, serving food at a homeless shelter, sponsoring a soccer team, the list goes on and on.

Before you decide, answer these questions for each option:

• Do you have a personal connection to the cause that makes it a part of who you are?
• Does the cause reflect your personal and professional philosophy?
• Are there ongoing activities you can do with other people who can drive business your way?
• Will it increase your visibility among potential clients?
• Does it mesh with real estate and complement your work?
• If the answer is yes to these questions, consider this particular volunteer opportunity.
• 6.Create a stellar and unfailing display of customer service.

As a coach, I see plenty of agents who can talk all day about giving good customer service. But that’s where it all ends — at the talking stage. These agents postpone returning emails and phone calls from leads. They never look for ways to go above and beyond what the clients might expect. They refuse to look for ways to improve themselves. Sad but true.

Look at other agents in your market who are known for outstanding customer service. Then create five specific ways to make your service even better. Seek to constantly add value to everything you do for clients.

7. Develop an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. 

Sure, you expect top producers to know their business and many will have the CRS, GRE and other certifications. But these top producers never think they know it all. In fact, they’d be the first to tell you they learn something new every day. That’s because they’re curious and they’re always seeking — and usually finding — opportunities in their market where others only see roadblocks. Is your level of curiosity where it should be? If not, hit the books and the classroom to keep learning.

I honestly believe that the REALTORS^® who’ll be around next year – and far into the future – are the ones who understand that their role is changing and make the changes needed to fit this new role. Our business is no longer just about selling homes. It’s about being a knowledgeable and reliable resource for consumers. Today and in the future, A REALTOR^® is becoming more of a consultant, and less of a salesperson, because that’s the role the marketplace and consumers are demanding.

8. Cultivate a positive attitude and wear it constantly. 

If I had to pick a single ingredient that makes REALTORS^® stand out, it would be attitude. Can you imagine a top producer with a bad attitude? Well, if you can, I promise you they won’t be one for long. The fire inside successful agents is at the very center of their belief that they can succeed — will succeed — no matter what.

Stop for a minute and ask yourself if you really, truly believe this about yourself. If not, do some soul searching to find out what will help you believe. Because once you do, watch out — this main ingredient will kick in and you’ll have all the success you can handle.

Bob Corcoran is a nationally recognized speaker and author who is founder and president of Corcoran Consulting Inc.