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Wondering how to stand out and differentiate yourself from other agents? Brad McCallum, founder of the McCallum Group in Calgary, Ontario, differentiates himself from high-quality, cinematic listing videos, and it can be the difference you’ve been looking for.
McCallum went into real estate knowing there had to be a better way to sell real estate than what he experienced. “I thought all Realtors were overpaid, made very little, and that they were all the same. I had even sold a few of my homes with so-called ‘top producers’ and ‘top agents,’ and in the end that experience felt really worthless. I knew that if I was going to be successful as an agent, I would have to find a way to do things differently.“
His search for difference led him to create cinematic videos to discuss the homes that his clients entrusted him to sell. Telling these stories through video has helped him and his team consistently close over $100 million a year and build a YouTube channel with over 48,000 subscribers.
His focus on video listings not only helps him sell his current listings but also helps him present a significant difference to his competition for listing appointments. In this article, he shares his easy-to-follow nomination process that can help you pick up more listings.
Define minimum standard of care
To differentiate McCallum Group from other agents, he begins the list presentation by explaining the duties that all agents must perform. He said that many agents are taught to highlight every little thing they do in a listing presentation, but none of those activities stand out.
He suggested the conversation with the seller as follows:
“Because I believe our time is precious, I don’t want to come in here and talk about all the things we will do in your listing that I believe you should expect from every agent you interview.
Here are a few examples of what I call low maintenance: ongoing communication, positive feedback from showings, open houses, advice on staging, and preparing your home for sale. You should expect more from drone photography, social media, yard sign, or professional photography. These are things that some agents will come in and describe as part of their standard of care.
In my mind, these are minimum standards of care in 2024. So, what I would like to do is spend most of our time discussing the things that make our team different from any other agents you might meet.”
This framework does two things: It allows McCallum to cut back on all the things most other agents brag about. For example another agent might say, “We do drone photography,” and the salesperson thinks, “Yeah, right, Brad said that should be expected as a minimum level of service.”
It also helps you refocus on the very thing that got you the appointment. For McCallum, it’s usually his videos. For you, it could be your local farming or your involvement in the local community. Whatever is personal to you, focus on that as your differentiator.
The value of video as a differentiator
He then forwards the conversation to his distributor for providing high quality video listings. He talks about how the platform they’ve built gives them the power to reach the biggest audience that every piece of marketing should focus on: potential buyers.
He then shares the following with prospective sellers:
“The biggest mistake that homeowners make is thinking that they are hiring someone who will be selling their home. But 97 percent of the time, the listing agent doesn’t talk to the buyer. In 97 percent of sales, it is the buyer’s agent who contacts the buyer and sells your home.
But a buyer’s agent has no skin in the game, whether you’re buying your home or another home. That buyer’s agent will sell them the home they want to buy. So, with video, we found a way to bypass the buyer’s agent and talk directly to the potential buyer.
I want to be the one telling the story of how the sun shines through that window in the morning, what it means to your family to have that much yard, or how remodeling that kitchen has increased your family’s happiness at home. He tells me stories and I relay the stories in a seven-minute video.
The video we record is your words from my mouth, speaking to the ears of the prospective buyer. This bypasses the buyer’s agent and gives us the ability to sell your home by talking directly to the buyer.”
Share the ‘inside ball’
“Inside ball” refers to sharing something that the public may not be aware of, but people in the industry understand. McCallum said they invest a lot of money in marketing the house, so he only wants to list the houses that will sell. He shared the following “indoor soccer” story that he often tells.
“Mr. and Mrs. Seller, have you heard the term ‘buying list?’ It’s kind of an industry insider term, and it refers to agents who will tell you whatever you want to hear about the listing price to get a listing and then turn around 30 days later and tell you that you need to reduce. price to sell the home.
So, here’s the thing: at the risk of losing your business today, I want to choose honesty and have a real conversation about the price of your house. Here’s an example of why I’d like to discuss this before we examine your home inspection analysis.
If you tell me your home is worth $1.2 million and I tell you it’s worth $1.1 million, you’ll immediately think I’m just trying to get you to price your home low so it can sell quickly. Most agents will tell you whatever you want to hear, so make sure you let them tell you their thoughts on the price before you tell them yours.
That way if you tell them a high number and they say yes, I think we can try it at that price, then you know they can, as we call it in the industry, ‘buy the list.’
When I go over these numbers, they may be higher than you thought or they may be lower than you thought, but before I get started, I want to make sure that these numbers are based on comparable sales and that it is my honest opinion on where your home needs to be priced to maximize your resale value.”
Naturally move on to the next steps
Many agents stumble when it comes to soliciting business. McCallum believes that moving forward should be the next natural step. Here’s an example he gave of how this change happens naturally:
“So listen, if you want to move forward, it takes time to organize our media team.
We can probably get into their program by the middle of next week. Then it takes them three to four days to do their best work to do something special with the planning process and prepare for our marketing. With that in mind, we could be on the market two weeks from now if that works for you.”
The flow of this listing presentation is natural and clearly shows how The McCallum Group helps their listings get sold through their marketing. What is it to you? What makes you different from other agents? Your ability to clearly communicate the difference between you and your competition will lead to more business.
Connect with Brad McCallum on Instagram and see examples of his list videos on his YouTube channel.
Jimmy Burgess is a real estate agent and national team builder with Real Brokerage in northwest Florida, serving the 30A, Destin, and Panama City Beach markets. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
