Stand Out to Succeed

There's a neighborhood in Baton Rouge that is absolutely drowning in realtor mailers, cold calls, door knocks, and "I have a buyer!" phone calls. One realtor who lives there — and wants to be the go-to agent for her own neighborhood — was starting to feel like she should just do what everyone else is doing.

Alissa said no. And this episode is why.

This is a story about what happens when agents get desperate and start blending in instead of standing out. It's also a practical guide for how to actually differentiate yourself in a way that attracts the people you want to work with — without any of the cheesy tactics that make you cringe.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- The neighborhood where two different agents called the same clients within three hours claiming to have a "waiting list" and a "cash buyer" — and neither story held up
- Why the public gets taken in by the "cash buyer" phone call — and how Alissa talked her clients off the ledge
- The realtor friend who lives in the targeted neighborhood, felt like she was failing, and was about to start doing all the same things her competition was doing
- Why a neighborhood that's over-targeted is actually an opportunity to zig when everyone else is zagging
- The difference between a mass mail-out and actually being a human in your community
- Why calling someone on the phone to ask if they want to sell their house is intrusive — and why mailers are at least non-invasive
- The neighborhood Facebook group as a tool: being the voice of positivity and value instead of the complainer, being the one who organizes the coat drive, being the one who offers resources
- The business card on the trunk-or-treat candy situation and why the answer is no
- Katy's 8 real estate specific ways to stand out from the crowd:
  1. Have a niche — when you talk to everyone you talk to no one
  2. Answer your phone
  3. Make first contact with your clients — be proactive
  4. Have a resume — treat it like a business
  5. Be known for something — don't be a carbon copy of every other agent
  6. Speak to your ideal client, not to other realtors
  7. Write handwritten notes — two or three a day
  8. Use your email templates — stand out by being consistent and knowledgeable
- Alissa's number nine: for three weeks, stop posting on social media and only engage with other people's content — comment, like, share, DM
- The 10 macro ways to stand out from the crowd: embrace authenticity, active listening, emotional intelligence, hone your expertise, growth mindset, radical kindness, collaboration, impeccable preparation, exceptional communication, and a solutions-oriented approach
- Why the wedding guest list analogy is the best way to understand your database
- Why agents focused on growing their presence to other realtors instead of their ideal clients are missing the point entirely
- The email you should send your database right now about the realtor madness in the market

Quotes from the episode:

"It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone." — Hans Hansen

"They laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at them because they're all the same." — Kurt Cobain

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" — Dr. Seuss

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Toast of the week goes to Courtney Simms in San Antonio, Texas, toasted by Kara Smith. Courtney is the sounding board, the person you call when you need to vent, the person whose input you trust — and a highly effective realtor serving her clients with integrity. Cheers to Courtney!

Want to toast someone on the show? Email team@hustlehumblypodcast.com.

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Music:
Straight A's by Connor Price → https://connorprice.shop/
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy → https://soundcloud.com/summerkennedy/the-good-life
Be The One by Matrika → https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/be-the-one