Do you know your value as a real estate agent? And better yet, do you know how to articulate it to others? It is essential as an agent to build trust and communicate value.

Real estate is a relationship business. Potential clients typically ask themselves 3 questions upon first meeting a Realtor to authentically connect: Do I like you? Can you help me? And can I trust you?

The response for the first two questions is usually a yes.  Clients, and you as the agent, will get a sense of likability and if you are the person to help them.  Getting to a level of trust usually takes some time to establish in any relationship.  The goal with your client is to create an authentic connection so they understand and believe that you have their best interest in mind. 

Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, the truth, the ability, or the strength of someone of something. It can take a long time to earn trust, but it can be lost in an instant. So, how do you create a bond and create trust in another human being? Start by asking questions and putting someone else first…It’s that simple! Here is an acronym the keep in mind as a place to start: FORD – Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams. Be naturally curious about these things and it will demonstrate to someone that you want to connect authentically.

Another great way to establish trust is by being resourceful. Be proactive and go above and beyond to seek answers. Keep in mind that you are a professional, not an expert! You don’t have to know everything, but you do have to be professional.

So, how do you determine your value and communicate it clearly to others? Use the basic elevator speech below and follow the 5 steps below to fill in the blanks:

“I am a ________ and I help (or specialize in) ________ achieve ________ so that ________.”

1. Come up with who your ideal client is – Doing this will really impact your referrals, messaging, and social media presence. Take time to write down words and adjectives that represent how to help. Circle the words that really jump out to you.
2. Be concise – Words matter and the way you craft what you say can really matter in order to capture somebody’s interest to make them want to engage with you so that you can then flip to conversation with them and start asking them what they do.
3. Be catchy – Say things a bit differently than the way most other people do because you’re not everybody. You’re not average; you’re different! Add creativity and spontaneity to your answer…if you’re funny, add a little humor into what you say.
4. Be clear – Keep it simple and to the point so that it is not confusing when the question is answered. Don’t get too creative.
5. Have a call to action – This is the ‘ask’ part. This is tying it together at the end that is a trigger to have them reach out to you in the future, or for them to refer to you down the road. You should always have an ‘ask’ at the end of the conversation, even if it’s to add a vendor partner to your database.

Remember to be authentic and transparent.  Put your clients first and actively listen to what they have to say. These tips will help build trust and communicate value for your clients.