When you last bought toothpaste did you notice there were about 100 different kinds? All you really want is to have clean teeth, so how are you supposed to know which type of toothpaste to buy? Chances are, you buy whatever your dentist suggests you use. You trust your dentist’s opinion because she is an expert. Your dentist adds insight to information and helps you make an informed decision so you don’t need to spend an hour in the toothpaste aisle and your teeth stay squeaky-clean.

Like the toothpaste, your clients have information and tools at their disposal, but they don’t have the wisdom that comes from your years of experience, your expert knowledge and way of explaining things. They don’t have insight.

Insight is information with value added to it

Adding insight helps to educate your clients and gives them the knowledge needed to make an informed decision. It showcases you as the expert.

Here are three ways you can add insight to information:

1) Add Interpretation

Put the information in context for me. What’s a sales-to-listing ratio? How does that effect the price of my home? What’s happening with mortgage rates and what does that mean? What strategies do I need for a buyer’s market? A seller’s market?

Remember that the big question in your clients’ head is always, “but what does that mean for me?”

2) Bring Scarce Information

No one needs you to hand them MLS listings anymore; that information is abundant. But there is still some information out there that is hard to find, requires relationships to access, is protected or not easily compiled.

As an example, you can provide information on:

• Future development projects
• Economic development plans and prospects for a community
• Trends in school planning and school quality
• Upcoming changes in zoning, highways and infrastructure

When you bring scarce information to the table, in a timely manner, you start to establish yourself as the expert.

Be proactive in obtaining knowledge, sort through the information and pass on what’s useful to your clients as soon as you receive it.

When your clients hear news from you before they hear it elsewhere you become the realtor with the inside scoop, the one people will come to for information and the agent who is top of mind when they’re looking to make a move.

3) Add Advice

Now more than ever you’re going to have to tell clients what you think is best. Give them your informed opinion. Go out on a limb. You need to put your expertise and reputation on the line.

You’ve got the training, the experience and the market knowledge so tell your clients what you’d do if it were your home.

Your clients need your insight. They need your experience, support and education to help make sense of the information they are constantly being bombarded with.

They need an expert to guide them; someone they trust.

That someone is you.

It’s a Beautiful Life, Make it Count.

– Rich