<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1349615188509663&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">

OUR BLOG

All Posts

Real Estate Agents: Never Forget The First Rule of Marketing

Real estate agents: When someone is looking to buy a home, they’re only interested in the home, right?

Wrong! 

When it comes to selling a home, you’ve got to keep the first rule of marketing in mind:

AmericanTowns Media Blog Real Estate Agents: Never Forget The First Rule of Marketing

Another way to think of this is buyer empathy.

In other words, it’s not about how many bathrooms or garages you have. It’s about what the person you’re talking to, the person whose hard-earned money you’re trying to get them to fork over, what they want to buy. Or better yet, what they need to buy.

Unfortunately, most marketers rarely think about this, and therefore, most selling is unsuccessful.

So, put yourself in the shoes of someone buying a home. What are they looking for?

Well sure, they could be buying a home as a status symbol or as an investment. Or it could be something much more significant than that.

It could be that they’re buying much more than the four walls, more than the yard, even more than the memories they’ll make there.

It could be that, in a sense, when people are buying a home, they really aren’t buying a home at all. 

They’re buying a community.

AmericanTowns Media Blog Real Estate Agents: Never Forget The First Rule of Marketing

They’re buying a school system for their kids. They’re buying a community where they feel safe. They’re buying a neighborhood that allows them to shop for the things they need in the ways they feel most comfortable – from big malls to mom-and-pop shops. They’re buying proximity to healthcare that each family member may need. They’re buying proximity to places of worship. And they’re buying literally everything in between.

So, if that’s what a home buyer is really looking to buy, then how do you – as their listing agent or realtor – frame up a home as being one that completely meets their needs?

You need to sell it in the context of the community.

And the thing about this context is, it’s not purely rational. Are big malls better than old time downtowns? Noisy neighbors more reassuring than crickets?

Of course not. They’re totally arbitrary.

Which is why selling is still an art and not a science.

So, remember: empathy.

Figure out what they need and help them find it!

Mike Raleigh
Mike Raleigh
Vice President, Growth at Longitude73 and a 20 year veteran of multi-discipline marketing. Speaker. Entrepreneur. Dreamer. Passionate about making brands connect with consumers in ways that are mutually beneficial.

More From Our Blog

Short-Form Blog Posts

Why Do Tutoring Centers Have a Giant Opportunity?

I’ll give you the answer right here: because most parents are not certified teachers! As you well know, kids everywhere ...

Short-Form Blog Posts

Being Local and Proactive During a Time of Disruption

I went to Whole Foods to grab some fresh fruit for the kids yesterday morning. I arrived at 8:15 am in the hopes of beat...

Short-Form Blog Posts

How Can Your Big Brand Become Their Local Pharmacist, During a Time of Crisis?

If you’re following our location-based business videos, you know that we help large-scale, chain businesses better serve...