13 Mar How to Position Yourself as a Neighbourhood Expert

As a realtor, you know your chosen career requires you to wear many hats: negotiator, customer service agent extraordinaire, sales rep, translator of legalese and more. But did you know that now more than ever it is imperative to be a neighbourhood expert?

Of course, this term “neighbourhood expert” is not something new; in fact, it has been bandied about so much it has begun to lose its lustre. Regardless if you are a listing agent or buyer’s agent, your clients need to know a lot of information about the neighbourhoods you operate in.

Pretend you are a consumer for a moment. Close your eyes and imagine you are buying a home. Besides the features of the home itself, what would you ask your realtor about? If you thought about schools, transportation, parks, amenities, highway access, property turnover, home and price stability – you are on the right path (and definitely a realtor)!

Many realtors miss out on marketing goldmines by haphazardly understanding pieces of the city they operate in. Your partners at Sona Visual have compiled some tips on how to better position yourself as the neighbourhood expert you want to be. Continue reading below to learn more, or call us today for a personalized conversation about how our services can help position you as a neighbourhood expert!

Hit the road, Jack

It might sound obvious, but many realtors want to put out useful information to their potential clients and so they rush into selecting a neighbourhood before they understand it completely.
There is no better way than to walk, drive, or even bike a possible community at different times of the day. This will give you insights into neighbourhood activity and noise levels, and learn some new interesting (or annoying!) facts about the area.

Sona Visual can help your clients better understand the community they are interested in buying in. We offer smaller photo packages and have many neighbourhood photos available for purchase a la carte. Include some local shots in your marketing material to show your clients that you don’t just talk the talk!

If you want to develop something more intricate, Sona Visual can help you storyboard and execute a neighbourhood showcase video. This is an excellent way to showcase the neighbourhood you are an expert in, and your services as a realtor!

Set Phasers to: Engage

If you want to be a neighbourhood expert, it’s critical to be visible and involved in that place! Volunteer your time or resources at local community events, like fundraisers, block parties or even a Stampede breakfast. You could also serve on a local PTA or similar organization.

Our previous blog post discussed the importance of social media marketing for Millennials, but it is also important for other generations to see you online. You can share your community events on Facebook or share pictures of the event on your Instagram.

Nothing will benefit you more than being engaged in a community, because those there will remember you. Network yourself by hosting a free information session in that neighbourhood, which will help you with our next suggestion.

Gift of Gab

Nobody understands a neighbourhood better than those whom live there! Talk to those in the community to learn more about things no book or city resource can tell you. What areas get flooded when it rains too much? Does that elementary school a block away create traffic congestion in the mornings? Are the alleys well-lit and maintained? Is that leash-free park full of aggressive dogs or are the owners and their pets friendly?

Promote the Community

Now that you’ve hit the ground running and found your ideal neighbourhood, it’s important that you begin to promote it. This can be as simple as blogging weekly or monthly. You can blog about interesting events, activities, or shows in that community.

You can offer quarterly market reports on home sales, average costs, and changes to the area. Using a custom video to promote the neighbourhood by doing a drive by showcase of unique amenities if always a good idea. You can even get some of the neighbours involved and have them share some of their favourite restaurants, pathways or amenities in the video!

Stories are shown to be 22x more impactful than facts alone. Our team can help you create a custom video with your neighbourhood’s unique story.

Leverage your Existing Clients

No other industry is as attuned to the importance of word of mouth than real estate. If you have done deals in the neighbourhood previously, reach out and ask them to write a testimonial or success story about how you helped them. You can use these on social media, your blog, or in a video. Professional photographs on print collateral will help to promote yourself to new clients.

Deciding which neighbourhood to be an expert in means doing your research beforehand. Maybe you select your desired neighbourhood because you truly believe it is the best place in town to live. Or maybe it’s strictly a business decision. Whatever the reason behind it, make sure your knowledge is sound so your clients can get as excited about the neighbourhood as you are!

For more information on using photos and videos to expertly position yourself, or to schedule an appointment, contact us today!