5 ways to become the go-to agent in your area

Becoming the go-to agent or salesperson for your area means building trust and credibility within your community. Buyers and sellers are looking for an expert to help guide them through the home buying journey, which is why agents who are seen as the neighbourhood expert have a leg up.

Here are five ways to become your area’s go-to agent.

1. Use data to show you’re the local market expert 

The property market can be volatile and things can fluctuate even at a suburb level. Being able to show that you have insider knowledge and truly have your finger on the pulse of the local market goes a long way to help your clients or customers feel at ease during the transaction.  

Reading the New Zealand Property Report each month is a great way of not only keeping yourself informed but, by sharing it with your clients or posting it on your social media channels, you can continue to pitch yourself as an informed and knowledgeable local expert. Read more about understanding the New Zealand Property Report here.

2. Make the most of open homes

While open homes are first and foremost about doing a great job for the vendor you’re representing, they’re also a fantastic opportunity to meet new contacts who are interested in your target neighbourhood – including potential buyers and sellers. At an open home you have a captive audience, so come prepared. 

Pull data from the New Zealand Property Report, investigate local housing trends and find out about exciting developments in the area. Tell others about that cute café that’s about to open downtown, the fantastic daycare that’s taking on new kids or what postcode is about to have fibre installed. 

Sharing these tidbits inspires confidence and goes a long way to show others that you’re plugged into the local community.  

3. Leverage the media 

There’s nothing like an old-fashioned newspaper headline to get people talking about you. Identify journalists at local and regional newspapers, magazines or online publications and reach out to them. Mention a relevant article they’ve written that you enjoyed and offer yourself as a commentator for future real estate stories. 

Reporters are often working to very tight deadlines, so pass on your cell phone number and they may give you a buzz next time they need a source to provide an expert opinion on local property news. 

4. Be seen at the top of the pile

When was the last time you Googled something and scrolled all the way through the results to page four or five? Everyone knows page one is the place to be and the same can be said for your listings. 

Purchasing a marketing package on property listing sites is essential to ensure you stay at the top of the pile. As New Zealand’s number one property website, a package on realestate.co.nz means you’ll be exposed to the more than 1.1 million unique browsers that visit us each month. That’s a whole lot of serious buyers. 

Build your brand with agent tiles on realestate.co.nz. An agent tile is like a digital business card that appears at the top of the search results for your chosen suburb, and the surrounding area, so that buyers know who you are and see you as a trusted professional. 

5. Be part of the community

Think about the locations around town that you visit regularly, and ask yourself where you could be building stronger relationships. Do you visit the gym at the same time every day? Grab your flat white at the same local coffee joint? Becoming a regular that others know by name is a great way to build your network within the community and become “the agent” for your area. 

If you often shop online, switch to visiting a local store instead. Pop by the farmers market and chat to the stall holders. Talk to other parents at the school gate or weekend sports. Every conversation is an opportunity and you never know where a smile and a chat could lead you. 

 

Check out our list of the five business relationships every agent should have.