How to Create a USP for Yourself So

You Can Beat the Competition

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Discover and promote what makes you unique to help your business grow.

Do you find yourself chasing clients? Do you frequently get beat out by other realtors for your ideal clients’ business? Or do you wonder why you work with all different types of buyers and sellers and can’t seem to find the ones you really want to specialize in?

If one of these sounds familiar, it’s likely you have not identified your USP. Here is what a USP is, why it’s important, and how you can identify and promote yours.

What is a USP?

USP is an acronym for Unique Selling Proposition. It is the reason why one person who sells a product or service is different and better than those selling the same product or service. To put it in other words, your USP is what makes you unique and memorable to your target market.

USPs are especially important in real estate because all agents are selling essentially the same thing: properties. In many cases, you will be competing with other realtors to get the exact same listings or will be trying to sell homes that are very similar to others on the market.

|In real estate, the best in the business don’t sell homes or investment properties. Instead, they sell themselves: their personality, way of doing business, customer service skills, and how they make their clients feel about the buying or selling process.

Discover and promote what makes you

unique to help your business grow.

Database Marketing Strategies

The Importance of Your Website as a Realtor

Do you find yourself chasing clients? Do you frequently get beat out by other realtors

for your ideal clients’ business? Or do you wonder why you work with all different types

of buyers and sellers and can’t seem to find the ones you really want to specialize in?

If one of these sounds familiar, it’s likely you have not identified your USP. Here is what a

USP is, why it’s important, and how you can identify and promote yours.

What is a USP?

USP is an acronym for Unique Selling Proposition. It is the reason why one person who

sells a product or service is different and better than those selling the same product or

service. To put it in other words, your USP is what makes you unique and memorable to

your target market.

USPs are especially important in real estate because all agents are selling essentially the

same thing: properties. In many cases, you will be competing with other realtors to get

the exact same listings or will be trying to sell homes that are very similar to others on

the market.

|In real estate, the best in the business don’t sell homes or investment properties. Instead,

they sell themselves: their personality, way of doing business, customer service skills, and

how they make their clients feel about the buying or selling process.

The Advantages of Having a USP

Some realtors worry that they will pigeonhole themselves if they develop and promote a strong USP. This could not be further from the truth. When you try to sell to everyone, you are essentially selling to no one. You can’t tailor your marketing campaigns to solve the problems of your target market and you can’t emphasize what you do best for fear that it will alienate other types of clients.

When you don’t have a solid USP, you look like everyone else. You don’t stand out from other realtors and you find yourself constantly chasing business and trying to convince buyers and sellers to work with you over your competition. There is no way to position yourself as better than other realtors if you don’t have a strong USP.

When you do have a strong USP, you rise to the top quickly. Instead of having to convince others that you are better than other realtors, they’ll already know and will gravitate to you when they are ready to buy or sell. You won’t have to work as hard to get listings and you will quickly become known as the expert in your field.

Determining Your USP

Not sure how to determine your USP? With a little self-reflection, you can almost always determine what sets you apart from the competition. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

■ Do I have a compelling story? Your story does not have to be related to real estate. Perhaps you have a unique childhood background or you’ve had another career before you started selling real estate. Show how this story has helped you become a better realtor.

■ What type of clients do I want to work with?

■ What type of clients have I worked with in the past who have loved my service or who I have really enjoyed serving?

■ What do I want the market to know me for?

■ Is there anything in my procedures or process that makes me unique?

■ What is one thing I do better than other realtors that I can prove?

■ Is there an underserved market in my area and do I want to pursue those clients?

Once you answer these questions, you may realize you really want to serve those with high net worth who are looking for second homes. Or you may discover that your short underwriting turnaround is what sets you apart from your competition. Keep in mind that your USP can blend several aspects of what you do, but you have to be able to convey it in a way that is simple and clear.

Here are some examples of good USPs for realtors:

■ I grew up in Aspen and have more than 25 years of experience buying and selling Aspen ski cabins.

■ We help more clients buy second homes than any other real estate company in the area, and over 70% of our clients are purchasing secondary properties.

■ My background in finance helps me uniquely understand my clients’ mortgage struggles, and I can help them find the loan that works best for them.

■ I am a Compass Concierge agent who can help you prep your home for sale in an easy, cost-effective manner.

■ I have helped over 500 ultra-high net worth clients buy luxury properties all over the world.

The Wrong Messaging

Build and Market to Your Database

As a realtor, your database is your best friend. This is your list of past, current, and prospective clients as well as referral sources who can help grow your business. A basic rule of thumb is that an effective database consists of around 1000 names and contact information. Once you’ve built a solid database, you can market to your contacts through regular email newsletters, texts, or personal invitations to events or open houses. The marketing you do to your database should follow the same guidelines as your social media marketing: keep content informational and helpful rather than salesy. This keeps your contacts engaged with your brand and ensures they will continue to pay attention to what you have to say even when they are not actively looking to buy or sell real estate.

Harness the Power of Social Proof

The theory of social proof states that people are likely to conform and copy the actions of those in their peer group or those they view as experts or who are trustworthy. When it comes to real estate marketing, you can take advantage of social proof by featuring testimonials on your site and social media, soliciting online reviews from those you’ve done business with, and by establishing yourself as an authority on the local real estate market with helpful, informative content. When you harness the power of social proof, you essentially have others selling for you and no longer have to hustle or chase leads.

Database Marketing Strategies

The Right Messaging

The Advantages of Having a USP

Some realtors worry that they will pigeonhole themselves if they develop

and promote a strong USP. This could not be further from the truth. When

you try to sell to everyone, you are essentially selling to no one. You can’t

tailor your marketing campaigns to solve the problems of your target market

and you can’t emphasize what you do best for fear that it will alienate other

types of clients.

When you don’t have a solid USP, you look like everyone else. You don’t stand

out from other realtors and you find yourself constantly chasing business and

trying to convince buyers and sellers to work with you over your competition.

There is no way to position yourself as better than other realtors if you don’t

have a strong USP.

When you do have a strong USP, you rise to the top quickly. Instead of having to

convince others that you are better than other realtors, they’ll already know and

will gravitate to you when they are ready to buy or sell. You won’t have to work

as hard to get listings and you will quickly become known as the expert in your

field.

Determining Your USP

Not sure how to determine your USP? With a little self-reflection, you can almost

always determine what sets you apart from the competition. Start by asking

yourself the following questions:

■ Do I have a compelling story? Your story does not have to be related to real estate.

Perhaps you have a unique childhood background or you’ve had another career

before you started selling real estate. Show how this story has helped you

become a better realtor.

■ What type of clients do I want to work with?

■ What type of clients have I worked with in the past who have loved my service or

who I have really enjoyed serving?

■ What do I want the market to know me for?

■ Is there anything in my procedures or process that makes me unique?

■ What is one thing I do better than other realtors that I can prove?

■ Is there an underserved market in my area and do I want to pursue those clients?

Once you answer these questions, you may realize you really want to serve those with

high net worth who are looking for second homes. Or you may discover that your short

underwriting turnaround is what sets you apart from your competition. Keep in mind

that your USP can blend several aspects of what you do, but you have to be able to

convey it in a way that is simple and clear.

Here are some examples of good USPs for realtors:

■ I grew up in Aspen and have more than 25 years of experience buying and selling

Aspen ski cabins.

■ We help more clients buy second homes than any other real estate company in

the area, and over 70% of our clients are purchasing secondary properties.

■ My background in finance helps me uniquely understand my clients’ mortgage

struggles, and I can help them find the loan that works best for them.

■ I am a Compass Concierge agent who can help you prep your home for sale in

an easy, cost-effective manner.

■ I have helped over 500 ultra-high net worth clients buy luxury properties all

over the world.

Now that you understand that talking yourself and your accomplishments up on your site is the wrong messaging, let’s take a look at the content that works. Here are some tips on creating messaging that resonates with your target audience:

Content that is helpful. What are the issues your ideal client is dealing with? Are they attempting to buy and sell homes at the same time and need assistance with financing a down payment? Are they struggling to find a home they are interested in due to low inventory? Are they trying to decide if they should relocate or buy a second home now that they are empty-nesters? Identify the pain points in your target market, then address those points through blog posts that you then share on social media and in newsletters that go out to your database.

Content that establishes you as an expert. Those looking for help buying or selling property want to work with the best. To show that you are an expert in your local community and industry, develop content that revolves around neighborhood events, local real estate news, and other industry issues.

Content from experts and past clients. When you use the power of social proof to develop your website content, you let others do the selling for you. Social proof is the phenomenon where others copy the actions of people they see as peers or as trusted individuals. If they see your past clients talking about your high level of customer service in a video testimonial or read reviews from experts in the industry who have worked with you, they will be more likely to choose you as their realtor.

Content that stays ahead of the game. Your ideal client wants to know what’s going on in the industry as soon as possible. They also don’t want to read the same old content on your site that they’ve read on all your competitors’ sites. To address these needs, stay on the cutting edge of the industry and share information your visitors can’t get anywhere else.

Components of an Effective Lead

Generation System

How the Right Messaging Increases Conversions

Promoting Your USP

Once you’ve chosen the right USP, it’s time to promote it. You want your reputation to precede you so that potential clients already know what to expect when they meet you. Ideally, your perfect client will reach out to you without any effort on your part because they relate to your USP. Here are some ways to effectively promote it:

■ On your website. Make sure your USP is clearly stated in your bio and on the “About Us” section of your website.

■ Through testimonials. Ask those you’ve worked with to give you testimonials and emphasize the points included in your USP.

■ On social media. Social is an ideal way to promote your USP. Craft posts and cultivate articles that coincide and explain your USP to

followers.

■ In content marketing. Talk about your USP in blogs and email newsletters. Educate your readers on what makes you different and speak specifically to the ideal client you want to go after.

■ In networking groups. Whenever you attend a regular networking group or a social event, make sure you find a way to work your USP into your introduction or conversation.

■ On your business card and other printed materials.

■ Through speaking engagements. Reach out to groups that cater to your target market and ask if you can be a speaker at their next get-together so you can talk about your USP and provide some educational tips for buyers or sellers.

Need some help identifying and promoting your USP? Reach out to the experts at Luxury Presence. We’d love to be of assistance.