A lot of the work I do is helping my clients distill their special sauce, be memorable, and pitch like a champion. At the core of my One-of-One methodology is this truth: there is only one of you in the world. Celebrate it. Name it. Attract who you want to attract. You cannot be everything to everyone.
But here’s the rub, how do you find your voice when you have been hiding behind someone else’s brand or floating in the vanilla pool of sameness?
Chris Rock once joked that people brag about things they are simply supposed to do. Like saying, “I take care of my kids.” His response: “You’re supposed to.”
Real estate has its own version of this. “I put my clients first.” “I provide great service.” “I work hard.” Well…yes. You’re supposed to. That is the baseline.
Now imagine being a buyer and seeing ten different properties in a single day. By the fifth one, the apartments blur together. The kitchens, the bathrooms, the staged throw blankets, almost interchangeable. Well, guess what? So do the agents. If you are not naming and claiming what makes you different, you become part of the blur.
Psychologists call this the distinctiveness effect: our brains are wired to remember what breaks the pattern. When everything looks and sounds the same, we tune it out. When something stands apart, an unexpected perspective, a specific story, a surprising strength, it sticks.
A special shout-out to Vince Rocco, host of Talking New York Real Estate, for his genius daily practice of asking himself: How was I memorable today? If you know Vince, you know he is hard to forget.
So what is the thing that makes you unforgettable? Often, it is hiding in plain sight, in the things your clients thank you for after the deal closes.
- “You made me feel calm when I was losing it.”
- “You explained co-op boards better than anyone else.”
- “I never felt like just another buyer.”
Those are not throwaway compliments. They are signals.
How to sharpen your edge:
- Ask your clients. What do they say about working with you? Look for the patterns.
- Audit your language. Cut the generic. Replace “great service” with the actual moves you make that prove it.
- Claim your edge. Stop sanding down what makes you different just to blend in.
Try this exercise:
- Write down three things clients have thanked you for in the past year.
- Write down one thing that feels easy for you but hard for others.
Ask yourself: if my business disappeared tomorrow, what would people miss most?
Coaching Corner: Your next client should be able to repeat your differentiator back to you after one meeting. If they cannot, refine it until they can.
Safe may feel comfortable. But safe rarely sells. The agents who thrive are the ones who name their difference, own it, and let it attract the people who resonate.
Stand out. Be one-of-one. That is how you become unforgettable.
