{"id":6635,"date":"2011-05-09T13:39:01","date_gmt":"2011-05-09T18:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bhgrealestateblog.com\/?p=6635"},"modified":"2024-12-30T11:12:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T16:12:53","slug":"who-cares-about-the-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bhgrecareer.com\/bebetterblog\/who-cares-about-the-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Cares About the Competition?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As our industry becomes more and more competitive, it is often tempting to focus on what everyone else is doing bigger, better, and faster.\u00a0 You can spend a lot of energy chasing your competition, when in fact your strategy should always be to find ways to pave new paths.<\/p>\n

As an example, the airline industry was over-crowded.\u00a0 Major carriers saturated every inch of air space.\u00a0 There was seemingly no room for a new player to come in.\u00a0 Then,\u00a0Southwest Airlines<\/a> launched.\u00a0 Unlike its competition, it built its business on being the low cost carrier.\u00a0 It took a hard look at what everyone else was doing and decided to do things differently.\u00a0 They chose to fly one aircraft type.\u00a0 They offered no First Class cabin, no seat assignments, no expensive airport lounges.\u00a0 They built a friendly, wonderful culture cultivated by their in-flight teams.\u00a0 And guess what? It worked.\u00a0 And it continues to work.\u00a0 They started a movement that has changed an industry.<\/p>\n

Zappo\u2019s<\/a> did the same with their extraordinary culture and exemplary customer service.\u00a0Cirque du Soleil<\/a> isn\u2019t your ordinary circus.\u00a0 They built their value proposition around themed, spectacular performances instead of the typical three-ring circus format.\u00a0Apple<\/a> continues to obliterate the upper limits of innovation with their continuous releases of products people literally line up to get on launch day.\u00a0 The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n

The single thread that runs through all of these companies\u2014regardless of their industry\u2014is their commitment to finding a new angle, a new territory, and becoming the very best at it.<\/p>\n

At\u00a0Better Homes and Gardens\u00ae Real Estate<\/a>, we have built our brand on finding the white space in the real estate industry.\u00a0 Our brand\u2019s positioning, as the premier lifestyle brand dedicated to cultivating people\u2019s passion for the home, was unique when we launched and continues to be.\u00a0 Instead of relying on the traditional means of communication with our brokers and agents, we have made social media and technology core to how we do business.<\/p>\n

Even our brand\u2019s look and feel\u2014our personality\u2014has a unique warmth.\u00a0 But we also understand that in our industry, as in any other, the best ideas are chased.\u00a0 And so we have committed ourselves to continued innovation as one of our core values.\u00a0 To never stand still.\u00a0 To always look ahead.<\/p>\n

The innovation imperative is just as important for real estate professionals as it is for brands.\u00a0 Whether you are an experienced, successful real estate careerist or new to the industry, it is likely you feel you are fighting for every inch.\u00a0 For every listing.\u00a0 For every sale.<\/p>\n

It is true\u2014the competition is tougher.\u00a0 The economy is challenging.\u00a0 But there are some things you can do to neutralize some of those non-controllable forces and find your own white space in your market.<\/p>\n

Be real<\/h2>\n

<\/strong>It is tempting to morph who you are to fit a mold you think will bring you new business or will help expand your sphere of influence.\u00a0 But remember: being your true, authentic self is one of the most important competitive advantages you have.\u00a0 Your clients\u2014whether they are exactly like you from a demographics perspective or not\u2014expect you to be honest, prepared and knowledgeable. The key is understanding your client and their unique needs and keeping them central to how you do business with and for them.<\/p>\n

Raise your game<\/h2>\n

<\/strong>Technology has opened access to information to the end customer.\u00a0 The same pressures to educate and serve the informed consumer have been felt by travel agents for many years with the advent of sites such as\u00a0Orbitz<\/a> and\u00a0TripAdvisor<\/a>.\u00a0 They have been felt by doctors with the increasing use of\u00a0WebMD<\/a>, whereby patients are coming in to the offices already armed with possible diagnoses.\u00a0 The empowerment of the consumer is a step forward in our industry\u2014it benefits all of us.\u00a0 It gives us the opportunity to have more consultative, strategic relationships with our clients.\u00a0 As real estate professionals, our imperative is to be as informed, knowledgeable and collaborative as possible.\u00a0 Our job is to ensure our clients are armed with the right information backed by the right context, and serve as subject matter experts to help them make the right buying or selling decision. It requires us to continue to seek information.\u00a0 To continue to learn. T o broaden our personal skill sets.\u00a0 In short, we can never stop evolving.<\/p>\n

Find something, and get really good at it<\/h2>\n

<\/strong>This can mean being an expert at a particular price range, product type (condos, new construction, REOs), neighborhood, or even being the go-to agent for a particular group within your community.\u00a0 Find your niche.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean this is all you will be doing, but it\u2019s a great way to make a name for yourself.\u00a0 To stand apart from the masses.\u00a0 And most importantly, you add more value to your clients with your insights and market knowledge.<\/p>\n

These are unprecedented times. The confluence of technology, new media, increased competition and the economic environment has created a dynamic business environment, the likes of which we may never see again.\u00a0 But it also presents an opportunity for all of us. \u00a0Identify the ways you will stand apart.\u00a0 Be selective and laser focused.\u00a0 Become great at those things.\u00a0 Because your success should never be based on the success or presence of your competition.\u00a0 It needs to be based on you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As our industry becomes more and more competitive, it is often tempting to focus on what everyone else is doing bigger, better, and faster.\u00a0 You can spend a lot of energy chasing your competition, when in fact your strategy should always be to find ways to pave new paths. As an example, the airline industry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,141],"tags":[2251,3961,5431,6101,7981,7991,8181,8841,9091,9441,12651,13201,13241,15121,20591,20891,21231,25781,30451,30981,33981,39901,40501,40621,42531,43351,44071,46341,47501],"class_list":["post-6635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-marketing-and-branding","tag-apple","tag-better-homes-and-gardens-real-estate","tag-branding","tag-business","tag-circus","tag-cirque-du-soleil","tag-clients","tag-communication","tag-competition","tag-consumers","tag-economy","tag-empowerment","tag-energy","tag-focus","tag-ideas","tag-industry","tag-insight","tag-marketing-branding","tag-orbitz","tag-passion","tag-real-estate","tag-social-media","tag-southwest-airlines","tag-sphere-of-influence","tag-technology","tag-tips","tag-tripadvisor","tag-webmd","tag-zappos"],"yoast_head":"\nWho Cares About the Competition? - Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Be Better Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bhgrecareer.com\/bebetterblog\/who-cares-about-the-competition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who Cares About the Competition? - Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Be Better Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As our industry becomes more and more competitive, it is often tempting to focus on what everyone else is doing bigger, better, and faster.\u00a0 You can spend a lot of energy chasing your competition, when in fact your strategy should always be to find ways to pave new paths. 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