In a competitive industry, agents who specialise in a particular market will set themselves up as go-to experts, helping them to stand out, win listings, and earn clients’ trust.
Whether a property type or a geographical location, agents have been encouraged to specialise to sharpen their profile, accelerate career growth, and win more listings.
McGrath Camden principal, Stuart Davies, said focusing on one area allowed agents to fully dedicate themselves to that field, enabling them to consistently build on their knowledge and skills.
Davies, who specialises in rural and farmland properties, said that by honing in on a particular market, agents can efficiently demonstrate their expertise to build client trust and solidify their brand.
“You become an expert at it. Particularly from a residential point of view, when you are prospecting, and when you’re doing your ‘just listeds’ and your ‘just solds’, you’re building a profile,” he said.
Davies said the most successful agents often focused on one suburb or a portion of a suburb, becoming the local expert by default.
In comparison, he said that agents with more spread-out results reflected less commitment to a specific market.
“The agent that lists in one suburb, then lists something else three suburbs away, and then another one’s four suburbs away, they might be very good at executing their job … but if they don’t build a profile, everything’s sporadic.”
According to Davies, buyers often sought out agents with proven track records and strong results.
“Every vendor wants to come into a market wanting to get the greatest amount of money they possibly can, and if the agent is demonstrating that in an area, they’re going to get on the list.”
“But if the agent is here, there and everywhere, they don’t have a chance to build that profile.”
Davies said that to demonstrate exhaustive knowledge of a market, agents needed to immerse themselves in data, including the full range of prices, the area’s history, and upcoming council changes.
“That’s the very first thing they need. They’ve got to know that intimately, make themselves an expert in the area, and the sales side of it will come.”
For agents new to the industry, Davies advised them to specialise immediately so they could start building their brand right away.
In consultation with your principal or your manager, they would give you a geographic area for work.”
“Your first job is to deep dive into that area, know everything there is to know about that area, become an expert in that area, and then follow the basics.
Davies said that new property professionals would begin by door-knocking, letterbox drops, and informing potential buyers about recent listings, before building their brand further.
“Don’t try and spray and pray. Don’t try and list one in one suburb and then list another one three suburbs away, and then one in four suburbs away from that.”
“Drill down into a very specific area, become an expert and work that area as hard as you possibly can,” Davies concluded.
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