If you genuinely wish to stand out from the competition in the real estate sector, you need to send a strong message about what you’ve got to offer. Before considering to redo your website copy, print mailers, and company slogan, it is essential that you get your internal messaging right first. It is almost impossible to maintain brand consistency across your marketing collateral and website if a clear and concise description of your target value and market is missing. Inconsistency consequently results in ineffectiveness.
To achieve a clear internal messaging, you need to get your marketing team to write a brand positioning statement for your business that shall serve as a guidepost in all your marketing efforts in the future. A lot of firms spend thousands of dollars to tap the services of a marketing consultant or a PR firm in this regard. You don’t have to, especially if you have a limited budget. We can help you go through it. Simply follow the steps below on how to create a powerful brand positioning statement:
Step 1: Gather your team to brainstorm
The brand positioning exercise starts with getting your initial ideas written black and white. To make it easy for you, we have generated five questions for you to answer individually. Complete all sections, and you would be on your way to success.
You may answer with multiple bullet points or with a single sentence for every section. It is crucial to have everything written on a paper first before you consolidate the ideas.
Who do you target?
Specify your target customers here. Be specific. Avoid placing buyers and sellers as they are too general.
Good examples are as follows:
- Retirees who are downsizing
- First-time homebuyers
What does your target customer want?
Know your customers. What do they care about? What do they need most? What are their specific goals?
Examples:
- The customer wishes to get her property sold fast.
- The clients are newlyweds looking for an ideal starter home.
What do you have to offer your target customer?
What do you mainly sell?
Examples:
- A mid-sized condominium
- A single detached house
What makes you unique?
Specify what makes you stand out from your competitors. How will your target customers benefit from your offering? What added value can you give your customers?
Examples
- Three decades of home selling experience
- Local expertise
- Most home sales in Melbourne for the past five years
- Highest reviewed agent in Melbourne
Why does your offer matter?
Why is it essential for your customer to consider the benefits that you are delivering? Why must they care?
Examples:
- Home buying is one of the most significant decisions a person can make
- Homeowners wish to get their properties sold as quickly as possible
It is essential to ensure that your brand positioning statement focuses on the things you can deliver in the shortest possible time. While your 10-year expansion vision sounds excellent, it will by no means help you strengthen your current brand positioning.
Lastly, forget about your weaknesses and shortcomings for the sake of the exercise. Get yourself focused on the things you want your audience to perceive your brand instead.
Step 2: Draft Your Brand Positioning Statement
As soon as you’ve got all your initial ideas jotted on paper, make your best effort to write an accurate statement by consolidating them together. Use the template below that could serve as your ‘branding Madlibs.’
COMPANY NAME ______________________________ (who do you target) ___________________ (what does your target customer want). _________________________________ (What do you have to offer your target customer?)__________________________________ (What makes you unique?)______________(Why does your offer matter).
You might find your Madlibs not making sense during your first try. Don’t be frustrated. As soon as you get all the pieces, you will surely want to take some time to edit and reorganise your wording into something more
Your “Madlibs” probably won’t make much sense to start. That’s OK! Once you have all the pieces, you’ll want to spend some time editing your wording and reorganising your statement into something more understandable. It should result in something brief yet clear and differentiated.
An excellent example of a strong brand positioning statement for a Melbourne-based brokerage is as follows:
“Panda Realty specialises in serving first-time homebuyers (who do you target) looking for a perfect house to start a family (What does your target customer want). Ranked as the leading brokerage for single detached houses by the Eastern Chronicles (What do you have to offer your target market), Panda Realty’s team has a three-decade experience to help you find that ideal starter house (What makes you unique) because we understand that a good house is conducive to starting a good family (Why does your offer matter).”
I’m sure you can make a better brand positioning statement than the example above. Make sure to get honest feedback from your trusted family members and friends. You may also consider sharing it with your former customers to find out if the internal messaging resonates. You will get the necessary tools to begin coming up messaging for your marketing collateral and website as soon as your brand positioning statement passes this quick test.
Keep in mind that your brand positioning will only add value to your organisation when adequately used to disseminate your messaging. It will help if you will read any brand prospect or client-facing material that you and your team will be having against your brand positioning statement.
Don’t forget to ask: Does this material emulate what we have defined as a brand? Provide an honest answer. If you wish the value of your offer stands out to your clients, make sure you stay on message.