7 Steps On How to Attract Your Ideal Client

Just looking at the title of this article, you might be thinking, “My ideal client is anyone looking to buy or sell real estate!”

This is a common belief among agents, especially those just getting their feet wet and building their client base. Believe it or not, that philosophy can actually limit the growth of your business. Doing something specific really well can get your name out there as the expert, while doing a ton of things sort of well is a sure-fire way to make sure your brand gets lost in the noise.

People have more marketing coming at them from more channels than ever before, so it’s always better to stand out than to blend in.

If you try to be everything to everyone, you’ll likely just be nothing to no one.

Put yourself in the shoes of a prospective buyer or seller for a moment. They have no shortage of agents to choose from, so they’re looking for things that fit with their unique needs. Do you think they are more likely to choose a “generalist” with vanilla marketing or a “specialist” with varied marketing that fits exactly what they’re looking for? The latter, of course.

Understanding the ideal client you want to work with will help you define what value you bring to the table to differentiate yourself from other agents. Do you get excited about old houses? Looking for clients who share that passion will in turn push you to market your unique, old house expertise.

Love the lake life? Making that apparent on your social platforms and other outlets will naturally bring in clients looking for lake houses.

Not a fan of picking up rental clients? Don’t market those services as something you provide and you're less likely to waste time on rental inquiries from prospective clients. To do what you love, you need to find clients who love it, too.

Finding your niche market in real estate means narrowing down the vast array of real estate professional services to the specific things you are passionate about and then telling the world about it.

Think about the parts of your day that energize you. What types of houses or properties do you love researching? Condos? Vacant land? Horse farms? What type of properties are you not too thrilled about? Vacant land? Old houses? Subdivisions?

The answers are different for everyone and finding out what you’re good at and enjoy is the right place to start. Once you know what drives you and makes you different from other agents, get in front of the clients you can benefit the most. How? The possibilities are pretty endless.

It’s easier than you may think to get the message out once you’ve homed in on what you want to say. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start, though, so here are 7 steps to get you going. We will cover how to:

1. Avoid The Fear Of Excluding Potential Clients
2. Identify The Right Clients For You
3. Identify Your Competition
4. Get Involved With Your Target Clients
5. Expand Your Sphere Of Influence
6. Understand That Interests Attract Interests
7. Listen To Your Instincts

This is by no means the end-all list of how to find your ideal client, but it’s a good place to start if you understand the value of this endeavor but don't know where to begin. Let’s dive in:

You might still be a bit afraid of not thinking that anyone looking to buy, sell,or rent any type of real estate is someone you want to work with. That’s a normal fear for all agents. We don't want to miss any opportunities, so never saying no seems like a good approach. Here's the thing though, when you say yes to one thing, you’re always passively saying no to something else.

The hours in a day are finite and prioritizing the clients you want to work with will help you work smarter and more efficiently toward your goals. With this mindset, when you say no to a client who doesn't fit your specific needs, think of it as saying yes to that next potential ideal client you will use your time to attract. It will usually take some time, but once your client list starts mirroring your ideal client more often, the value of this approach to your business will become crystal clear.

So who is your ideal client? To begin identifying this, write down the qualities you look for in an ideal client. How do they communicate? What types of properties are they interested in? What price range are they looking in? When doing this, draw on your own experience, expertise and preferences.

People usually like to work with others who share similar work styles and product preferences. Oftentimes, your ideal client will be a lot like you. Keep in mind that these decisions should NEVER be based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation or gender identity), national origin, age or disability. Keep the deciding factors strictly to how you think a real estate transaction would go with the prospective client and how your expertise might match their needs.

Once you identify your niche and differentiators from other agents, and in turn your ideal client, you might feel like you are the only agent like you in the world! Well, not quite. Even if your niche is very specific, there are likely other agents that do similar, if not exactly the same, work.

Research them a ton! See how they engage with prospective clients on social media, check out their website. Then think about what they do well, what you might change about their approach, and how you can incorporate their ideas into your own marketing.

When talking to prospective clients, explain how what you offer is different from other agents in your area who do similar work (without mentioning them by name).  

Once you have identified your ideal client, you have to connect with them. Where does your ideal client spend their free time? The gym? Coffee shops? Parks? Wherever they are, you need to be there as well. Community groups tailored to people who meet your ideal client profile are a good place to start.

For example, if you are interested in working with luxury clients, the local country club and golf course might be a good place to spend your weekends. Keep in mind that these locations can be physical or online, but the point is to meet your customers and potential customers where they already are.

All this niche marketing doesn't mean becoming too narrow. Expanding your sphere of influence constantly is critical to success. For one, everyone you bring into your sphere may not fit your ideal client description, but they may have a friend or two who does. In addition, while you work to specialize in your niche for the present, you never know what future endeavors might appeal to you.

Good business means being ready to shift if the market or your own personal goals change. If you aren’t sure how to expand your sphere, simply live your life – it’s that easy! Hang out with friends, talk with co-workers, chat with people on the street or at coffee shops. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, casually letting people know what you do for a living is pretty easy. Afterall, it’s usually the first question they ask you!

If you want to attract your ideal client, present yourself like they do. If you think specializing in vacant land purchases and new house builds is the right track, display your expertise in those areas.

YouTube videos and social posts about vacant lots for sale or tips for people considering building a new house are just a few ideas. If you want to specialize in midcentury modern homes, consider tweeting some cool architectural articles covering that genre. You get the idea – things you like will attract others who like those things.

In the end, the old adage of listening to your gut applies daily in real estate. Trust yourself that if you feel a little “off” when initially meeting your client, they might not be a good fit. If your heart isn't in it, you might risk not putting your best work forward, which can reflect poorly on your business and influence future clients.

Conversely, if you're finding you have a great vibe with someone right when you meet them, you are more likely to go to bat for them when the going gets tough and provide excellent service.

Attracting your ideal client is helpful for the success of any real estate agent. Locate your niche by identifying what drives you to be the best. You and your clients will thank you for it. Get over the fear of not being broad enough, identify the right client, identify the competition, get involved with your ideal clients, expand your sphere, model your personal brand around your ideal client and trust your instincts. That way, you will be able to work with purpose and bring unique and specific expertise to your real estate business. And who doesn't want that?