If there is one thing missing from the real estate industry -- if there is a particularly obvious void among an otherwise talented group of professionals -- it is a lack of creative development.
This statement is not a criticism of the men and women within this field, as they possess great intelligence and wisdom about a variety of issues. The challenge for these individuals, however, is one of transcending the conventional (and increasingly ineffective) tactics that fall within the broader categories of Marketing, Advertising and Communications.
Which is to say, the reliance on billboards, pamphlets, magazine inserts, and sponsored TV or radio spots is an outdated -- and expensive -- attempt at branding.
Lost in the process is the personalization factor: The effort to distinguish one professional from another through the creative use of storytelling, biography, client testimonials and the sort of writing that is anything but generic.
Those factors, which are part of a trio of services (the other two involve Business Development and Project Management), highlight the value of Creative Development as an investment with recurring dividends.
These rewards not only enable a real estate executive to make his or her background part of the foreground of conversation, the reason a buyer or seller will "hire" that specific professional; these advantages are themselves the result of what the late advertising guru David Ogilvy called the Big Idea, a way to stand apart from the competition through a combination of words (let the copy be long but never boring, and factual but never fulsome) and deeds (always deliver exceptional service, regardless of how big or small any one transaction is).
Finding that Big Idea requires patience, deliberation and self-examination. It also demands the counsel of an independent expert, someone who has the necessary distance to look at this situation without prejudice or preconceived notions about the real estate industry as a whole.
That guidance is crucial because it introduces an executive to the roots of a Big Idea, the formal give-and-take with an advisor who can shape the narrative a real estate professional needs to succeed in a highly competitive marketplace.
Listening to that person and actively collaborating with that individual is, through conversation and analysis, a path to renewed visibility and enhanced credibility with the very clients a real estate executive must reach. It is, in short, a practical (but personal) path to a revitalized career.
Finding the Right Advisor to Tell the Right Story: Capturing the Big Idea
The essence to finding the right story rests with finding the right advisor to shape that message.
One such expert is Doug Cooper, Founder of Trubelo, which develops the customized plan and series of actions an executive or an entrepreneur must follow to gain a significant advantage within their respective industry.
I cite Trubelo because, in my own review of numerous consultants and agencies in this space, and by reading their variations on a common theme (Creative Development), I see a lot of generic verbiage and little actual creativity.
In contrast, Doug is the outlier with the skill to identify -- and strengthen -- a concept into an idea, which can become the Big Idea for long-term success.
He says:
"Creative Development is the methodical collection of relevant information, followed by an audit of the benefits and opportunities concerning ways to improve an individual's influence or a company's relationship with the public. The culmination of this partnership is self-discovery, complemented by a message and a Big Idea that resonates with great results."
I second that statement because it is a solution for any real estate professional, who wants to write -- and tell -- an inspiring story.
That story is worth reading, period.
Lewis Fein is a writer and marketing consultant, based in Southern California. He can be reached at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
