Rethinking Your Promo Photo + Four Real Estate Trends for 2016 + much more...

885,391 daily readers and growing! December 23, 2015 Rethinking Your Promo Photo Dear Reader, Several times in the last week I had almost identical conversations with different agents, so I thought it might be a good idea to share it with my readers. During the course of showing agents around my website we would eventually come to my photo. The reaction is almost predictable. There is a weird kind of stunned, nearly audible silence where you can almost hear the wheels turning in their minds as they try to decide what to say. On the one hand, they almost universally like the photo, but on the other hand it contradicts everything they’ve ever seen and heard about promotional photos. I deliberately wait a moment before continuing just to allow that tension to build a little. Then I answer the obvious question: “What the heck kind of promo photo is that?!” The answer is easy -- the best kind. My customers love it. It makes me look like a normal, active, fun-loving guy as opposed to a stuffed shirt wanna-be professional. Think about this: Are you attracted to success or someone trying to look and act successful? We’ve all been taught to “fake it ‘til we make it” and dress the same way, and present ourselves the same way, with the same looking business cards, brochures, websites, etc. Then we wonder why people don’t see us as outstanding. From my own local market and over a decade in real estate, only two agent photos stand out in my mind. One was an over-sized black and white, 80s “big hair”, in a tuxedo shot that looked like it was from a Van Halen album cover. It was so off-the-wall it stood out in the homes magazines like a sore thumb, but in a very good way. It screamed, “I’m confident in my ability and I don’t have to act like everyone else.” The photo belonged to a great agent named Eddie Terry (whose birthday is actually today.) The other agent photo that still stands out was one of Dee Nott who was an agent with my company at the time and now owns her own company. Her homes magazine ad had a photo from the beach. She was wearing sunglasses, shorts, a tank top, and a ball cap. She looked like the girl next door. You couldn’t help but want to work with her because she was so relaxed and real. The funny thing is that I’ve actually overheard people talking about each of those two photos, both in a good way. Except for people occasionally making fun of the “glamour shots” of some agents, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone talking about another Realtor® photo. What a missed opportunity. So, I challenge you to rethink your promo photos. What do they really say about you? Do they say that you are a fun person who people would love to meet and work with or do they say you are just another Realtor® in a big sea of Realtors®? Do they say, “I am confident and I don’t need to act as if… because I already am?” But don’t just take my word for it. Why don’t you conduct your own experiment? What if you tried changing your photo to something that is truly outstanding? After all, that’s what you want the message to be. What’s the worst that could happen? How much business is your current photo bringing you? I’ll bet you will be amazed at just how many positive comments you receive. If you have never tried my Ultimate Website, I want you to check it out and give it some serious thought today. Just think, if you started this afternoon and followed my easy advertising formula to post a free ad online tonight, you could literally wake up to new customers in your inbox tomorrow! It sounds crazy, but it's exactly what you're capable of. Get the Ultimate Website » Or check price and availability in your area. As always, thanks for reading. Matt Jones Broker/President/CEO FavoriteAgent.com Matt Jones is the founder and CEO of FavoriteAgent.com, nationally syndicated columnist, broker, and best selling author. He has been profiled by major media outlets as an innovator and a pioneer in the industry, and CNN's Pulse on America claimed he and his company were "changing the way real estate is done in America."

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