There’s no shortage of noise in the real estate industry. Between boosted social ads, endless email campaigns, and costly portal listings, the push to stand out can feel relentless, and expensive.
But according to @realty’s managing director, JJ Taylor, the agents who win in this market aren’t always the ones shouting the loudest.
They’re the ones most visible in their communities.
“If you’re a real estate agent, you’re in the game of being known,” he says.
“Your brand is your currency – and that starts with connection.”
It’s a simple truth, often overlooked in an era of automation: the most successful agents don’t just sell in a community, they’re part of it.
They’re the ones on school fundraising committees, helping out at the Saturday sausage sizzle, or volunteering with the local footy club.
Over time, these low-fanfare efforts build something far more valuable than click-throughs, they build trust.
The power of showing up
JJ believes that many agents, especially those just starting out, make the mistake of trying to cast their net too wide. In doing so, they miss the chance to go deep.
“They take a shotgun approach,” he says. “But when you try to be known by everyone, you end up known by no one.”
Instead, JJ and @realty’s internal coaches encourage agents to focus on smaller, more defined areas, around 600 to 1,000 homes, and build their visibility there.
Not through self-promotion, but through presence, conversations and familiarity.
“Some of the best listings come from the simplest moments,” he says.
“A chat at the school gates. A conversation at the local cafe. That’s how real trust starts.”
And that trust can’t be faked.
“If your motivation is purely transactional, people will see through it,” he adds.
“But if you show up consistently and genuinely care, that’s what people remember.”
Much of JJ’s thinking pushes back on the idea that more exposure is always better.
In fact, he says, being known by the right people in the right area beats broad reach every time, especially when it comes to lead generation.
It’s why he encourages agents to rethink how they measure ROI. Forget vanity metrics.
The best results, he argues, come from regular, authentic interactions; the kind that don’t always show up on a spreadsheet.
“You don’t need a viral ad,” he says. “You need 17 touchpoints a year with the people in your patch. That’s how you go from name recognition to real relationships.”
Not all of those points of contact are about real estate.
Some are community updates, others are simply check-ins.
“It could be letting someone know about a recent sale, or calling to help out with a fundraiser,” he says.
“Sometimes, you’re just staying in touch for the sake of it … and that’s okay.”
The old-school advantage
JJ’s perspective may sound old-fashioned, but it’s grounded in data.
He points to recent industry research showing that door knocking still outperforms every other prospecting method by a wide margin.
“I get it, no one wants to knock on doors,” he says with a laugh.
“But it works. You remember someone who took the time to show up at your front door. You don’t remember another ad on your feed.”
And it’s not about chasing a listing on the first try.
“You’re not trying to win business on call one, two or three. You’re building something slower, but stronger.”
For newer agents, he says the best move is often the simplest: be seen.
“Get out from behind the desk. Say hi. Ask questions. Show genuine interest in people’s lives, not just their properties.”
The biggest challenge, he admits, is staying consistent without burning out, and doing it all without tipping into over-promotion.
“That’s the hard part,” he says. “It takes energy. It takes patience. And it takes self-awareness to know when someone’s ready to talk, and when they’re not.”
But for agents willing to invest the time and lead with service, (not just sales) the payoff is long-term and often exponential.
“When you’re no longer just the real estate agent who drops flyers, but the one who turns up, supports local causes, and knows people by name, that’s when things click into place.”
He admits it’s a slower path, but in this industry, it’s also the one that builds the deepest foundations.
“Community is currency,” he says. “And the agents who understand that are the ones who’ll still be here in five, ten, fifteen years – not just closing deals, but earning trust.”
