professionals – The Property Writers

This post is penned by a total film tragic, so straight up apologies for the quite obvious reference. That said, this quote and its use was flooding plenty of different creative industries after the 1996 film in which it was featured. We just thought it was time to bring it up again.

Yep, we are referring to Jerry Maguire’s spiel to Rod Tidwell. (See below, if you need a refresher. Note, all Copyright of clip remains with owners/proprietors of the original film.)

Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t in the habit of ranting at our clients, or bothering them whilst they are attempting to dress. And we pride ourselves on our really positive relationships with all of our clients.

When you communicate with a client purely via Emoji, that’s when you know you’ve built up a solid working relationship!

But what we love about this “help me help you” ethos is that in the marketing world it’s easy for pressures and strains to compete to get in the way of taking a deep breath and going back to basics.

Asking the really simple (seriously, very simple) questions of a client at the beginning of a brief, we have found anyway, have ensured that we are providing the best possible service (read: help) that we can.

Questions such as:

Who are you trying to reach with this?
Do you have any documentation that can give us a unique insight? (For example, vendor’s statements about what they love about their home, why they first built in the area, etc..)
When do you plan on publishing this and/or having your other material complete?
Can you describe your ideal “buyer”, who would read this copy and be enticed to pick up the phone and call you?
Can you cite an example of a listing/catch-phrase/campaign you’ve seen recently that has sparked your interest and what did you love about it?

We have found that when providing our service for the first time to a client, whether they are an agent from a boutique agency, or someone from a powerhouse agency, questions like these help so much.

All it takes is this initial ten-minute or so conversation and we are in the best possible situation to help and to produce something tailored, unique and exactly what is required by the client. As a result of them helping us. Win-win!

It can also save a stream of emails back and forth following a brief, which may be a hindrance on time, on both ends.

So whether you’re a copywriter reading this, or a business owner/agent/agency who currently outsources to writers such as us, it’s a good little tagline to embed in your brain for the day.

help me help you

Simple right? But effective! Have any other tips for that first efficient, effective copywriting briefing? We would love to hear them.

Work smarter, not harder: outsourcing to experts

September 8, 2015 No Comments

If you’ve ever cackled at Terrible Real Estate Photographs then you already know how bad amateur marketing attempts can be. More and more, vendors understand the impact of a good first impression, and the trend is firmly heading towards the use of professionals. Vendors use professional stylists, swap their own furniture for rented to ensure a coordinated look and then use professional photographers and videographers to ensure that their property puts its best foot forward. Professional copywriting, too, is on the rise, with the newest and slickest agencies using professionals exclusively to make their listings stand out from the crowd. When the sale is achieved, you need a Form One (vendor disclosure statement) prepared; once traditionally done in-house, there are an increasing number of specialised conveyancers and real estate professionals who prepare these for agents. All of these services are paid for by the vendor, even where the agent is liaising with the specialists, with the cost being charged as disbursements in the overall costs agreement.

What does the change in the landscape mean for agents? It means several things.

It’s good news for small players. Hitherto, it was difficult to compete with the big agencies who had in-house studios with photographers and copywriters on call. Today, all you need is a good relationship with some of the many talented freelancers working in these industries and you’re good to go. As a bonus, using freelancers means you don’t pay overheads in terms of salary benefits and offie space; just what you need, when you need it.
It frees you up to focus on selling. Most agents go into real estate because they have a passion for property, excellent people skills and enjoy a fast paced career. They don’t want to be sitting at a desk preparing legal documents or writing copy. With the price of professional services passed on to the vendor in any event, it makes sense to free up your time to do what you love. And that’s important, because:
You need to be at the top of your game when it comes to core skills. With professionals levelling the playing field for marketing services, it no longer matters as much if your ability to write a description is better than the agent down the road. What does matter is the skill that you’re hired for in the first place, which is your ability to get the house sold for the best price. Sales and negotiation skills are your core business, and more than ever before, you need to work hard to stand out from the crowd.

So build your networks of talented and responsive marketing professionals and do what you love to do – sell!

Help us help you

Work smarter, not harder: outsourcing to experts