We hear it all the time: “We’re the best-kept-secret in town. How do we help more people understand what we do?”
In my experience, one of the best ways to build positive profile is to share your expertise in a way that’s truly helpful to your potential customers or clients.
Recently, BC Notaries Association did just this. To curate their collective knowledge, we surveyed member Notaries across the province to find out what was happening in their local real estate practice in 2018, and how this was impacting families: especially first-time buyers who tend to be a bellwether for market conditions.
Notaries know their local markets and have a unique view of the action, or lack of it. Chances are good they’ve helped you with a purchase or sale: notaries provide legal services in more than 70% of residential real estate transactions in B.C. And, if you live in B.C. or have visited here for more than five minutes, you’ll know that house prices are one of the most popular and passionate topics of conversation in our province: competing only with the weather and politics.
Notaries across B.C. reported that first-time buyers — with the exception of those riding the resource wave in the north — are increasingly tapping the bank of Mom and Dad to get that first home, and that “affordability” is an issue far beyond Metro Vancouver.
We packaged these findings with data, charts, graphs and access to local Notaries and released the report over the holidays, when news is typically slow.
But it wasn’t slow for Notaries, many of whom spent part of their holidays doing interviews with equally holiday-bereft reporters . From Global TV to the Vancouver Sun and Province to the Prince George Citizen, Squamish Chief, CBC, CKNW and many others small and large — everyone reflected on the 2018 market in the rear-view mirror, quoting Notaries on their expertise.
Sharing knowledge can be as simple as a survey, news release, or even an Instagram or blog post. It’s one of the best ways I know to demonstrate your expertise and reinforce your commitment to your clients and community. It raises awareness, builds trust and—importantly—reminds people to use your services or buy your product.
What do you know that your customers want to know? If you hit this right, you can become a go-to expert for media, customers and partners. What’s your secret sauce?